A Trip to Heaven and Back
by firewhiz
Summary: Out of all the planes in the entire nation, he stepped on the wrong one. Takari. 9/11
1. Prologue

**A Trip to Heaven and Back**

_Disclaimer:__ I don't own anything; I wish that the whole adventure in the digiworld was my idea but sadly it wasn't. If it were I wouldn't be sitting here in snowy Sweden… And I don't own any of the songs that I may use either._

_Summary: Out of all the planes in the entire nation, he stepped on the wrong one. Takari. 9/11_

_Ages:_

_Joe - 25_

_Matt, Tai, Sora – 24_

_Izzy, Mimi - 23_

_Yolie, Ken - 22_

_T.K, Kari, Davis – 21_

_Cody – 18_

_Nicole – 4_

_Sam – 2_

**A/N –** _I know that this story is almost 9 years after 9/11 happened but I was only 6 at the time and didn't understand what was going on. I just recently thought about what happened that awful day and read a bit about it and then I was totally amazed of the courage of the passengers on Flight 93 so I decided to write a story about it. And since I'm really into Digimon right now it got to be a digimon fanfic. I'm sorry if my grammar is horrible. I'm from Sweden so English is not my native language, Feel free to correct me if you find something wrong, I'm sure you'll find something. Otherwise… Review! :D _

_Oh and by the way this story doesn't follow the digimon timeline exactly, the ages are the same but since 9/11 happened 2001 and Adventure 02 in 2002 (I think) they would be too young for the plot to work. So I'm changing so that they were born a couple of years prior instead, and there by they went to the digiworld earlier. Because I do not want to change the year of the 9/11 it would just be… Wrong. _

* * *

**Prologue**** - And So It Begins Again**

_Seasons are changing  
And waves are crashing  
And stars are falling all for us  
Days grow longer and nights grow shorter  
I can show you I'll be the one_

_I will never let you fall (let you fall)_  
_I'll stand up with you forever_  
_I'll be there for you through it all (through it all)_  
_Even if saving you sends me to heaven_

_Your Guardian Angel – The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus_

A lot have changed since the digidestineds last adventure in the Digital World. The Digiworld now was at peace and had been ever since the fall of Malomyotismon and no new dark power has tried to gain control of it so the digimon who still lived there was free and happy. The digidestineds partners lived with them now as the whole world knew about the digimon but it was still not very many humans who had a partner. The digimon could walk down a street without anyone looking strangely at them, they were normal now and a part of the new society in which the digital world and the real world cooperated.

That was exactly what both Tai and Izzy worked with. Tai's working as a diplomat for the Digiworld and Izzy's working together with Sora's dad and Jim, Joe's brother, researching and trying to learn more about the Digital World. They are both busy with their personal lives in different ways. Tai still plays soccer but not as often as he did in his teens and is now more focused on his career instead of sports. He's currently enjoying his time as a single and lives very much in the moment.

Izzy finally admitted his feelings for Mimi and the two of them are expecting a baby in a few weeks. And before Mimi went on a maternity leave she worked hard with her own cooking show which she started to work with right after moving back to Japan. She said that the reason she moved back was to be closer to all her friends and that she thought that it would be easier to start a cooking show in a land with a population with good taste in food.

The other digidestineds have also continued their lives in different ways. Cody's still in school studying to become an attorney and help people just like his father did before he died. And Joe's finally finished with his studying and is now a doctor, in fact he's the first digimon doctor and only treats digimon. He's educated to be a doctor working with humans so he sometimes helps his friends with small injuries. Davis has finally opened his beloved noodle cart and his noodles are quickly becoming more and more popular. He admitted while still in school that his crush on Kari was only a tiny crush in the beginning and when T.K. came it just continued as a joke.

While still in school Ken asked Yolie if she wanted to be his wife and one month after they finished school all the digidestined gathered for the first wedding of the group. They were the first to get married and also the first with a kid. They now have a son named Sam who just turned two years old. Yolie's mostly home with Sam but sometimes she help out at her family's convenient store and Ken's now working as a private investigator.

Sora and Matt are engaged since over a year back and are planning for their winter wedding wanting to relive the feeling they felt at summer camp when the whole place was filled with snow. The Teenage Wolves, much to the fan girls disappointment, quit playing when the guys reached their late teens/early twenties realizing that having a famous rock band only had been a teenage dream of theirs and that it was time for them to enter the world of adults. He's instead studying to become an astronaut saying that when he was a kid he always enjoyed just staring at the sky and the stars and that being in the Digital World and seeing how different the universe was there made him interested in the subject. His soon-to-be wife's working hard trying to fulfil her own dream of being a fashion designer and she is showing her pieces to different clients waiting for the right one to say yes to her.

It wasn't before in the middle of their teens that Kari and T.K. confessed their feeling for each other, they had both been too afraid of losing their friendship. It was finally T.K. who gathered enough courage to ask her out, after asking Matt for various advice and Tai for permission, and of course she said yes and they've been joined by the hip ever since. T.K. had quickly decided that he wanted to be a writer because of his love of writing and the rush he got from playing and watching basketball soon made the offer to write about the latest basketball news in a big Japanese magazine seem perfect. But he soon figured out that this wasn't the writing he wanted to do and that was when he started to write about the biggest adventures of his life, the Digiworld. Kari was still a bit uncertain what she wanted to work with. She wanted to work with children but she loved to take pictures and maybe photographer is the right profession for her. She has taken a couple of pictures to some of T.K.'s books. For instance a picture of Angemon and Angewomon flying high in the sky and Agumon doing his Pepper Breath straight at the camera were some of her favourites.

The digidestined has since their teens moved on with their lives and were all pleased with the way it has turned out. However what they didn't know was that all of their lives would soon change in a way they never thought would happen and that they have no control over it all.

* * *

_31__st__ of July - 10.30 _

"I gotta go, Kari. They're closing the gate any minute now." T.K. said with a hint of sadness in his voice. He never wanted to leave Kari but he had to. His publisher wanted him to go and said if he didn't his book about his and the other digidestineds adventure in the Digital World would never be a success. So that's why he's here right now, on his way to America. He stared down at the angel in his arms and smiled. She was more then he thought he could ever deserve.

"I don't want you to, T.K." Kari said into his chest and sighed. "But I know you have too. Just be safe, will you?"

T.K. looked deep into her eyes and gave her a reassuring smile. "Nothing's gonna happen to me" She looked down at their feet and, if it was even possible, tighten her grip around him. Ever since she found out he was going to America she'd had a bad feeling about him going. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was but she felt like if something would happen to him and so that he couldn't make it back to her. What if this was the last time she saw him? She pushed to feeling away and tried to enjoy her last moment with T.K. before take off.

"Hey, look at me" T.K. said and put a finger under her chin indicating for her to lift her gaze. She did so and almost gasped when her ruby eyes met his blue. His eyes were filled with so much concern and love that she immediately was filled with that amazing feeling of being loved and taken care of. "I know that you're a person that listens to all your feelings all the time but this time they're gonna be wrong, okay? I'll be fine and so will you"

"Yeah I know but… What if there's something neither you nor I can control? What if you get hit by a yellow cab with a drunk driver behind the wheel or you get pushed down the Empire State Building? We can't prevent that, it's out of our hands." He raised an eyebrow at her statement knowing the meaning behind it all but the examples were just strange. "Just examples T.K. but you gotta agree that something similar to that might happen."

"You think that I would ever let that happen? I'll be fine and it's just for six weeks and I'll be back before you know it. I'm gonna miss you though" He raised his hand and gently removed a few strands of her hair that fell into her face and put them carefully behind her ear.

"I'm gonna miss you too. And please be careful all the time, okay? I don't know what I would do if something would happened to you I can't live without you."

"I know the way you feel and I can't live without you either. But I'll come back and I'll be alright, I promise." He smiled and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Be careful you too and I hope you'll feel better soon. I feel terrible to leave you right now."

"I'll be alright, it's probably just the cold or something like that." Kari once again met his eyes and saw his deep concern for her. She had been sick for a few day and neither of them know exactly what it was. "Don't worry I got Tai and everyone else around here."

They heard a voice in the speaker telling them that it was the last call out before take off and T.K. announced that he had to get going.

"Call me when you get there?"

"Of course, right away." He held her even closer and whispered in her ear. "I love you, my angel"

"I love you too" Kari said as she reached up and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him gently on the lips.

He bent down a bit and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss. As their surrounding began to spin he pulled away and whispered softly to her. "You're _everything_ to me, you know that right?"

Her eyes filled with tears and she hurried to brush them away with the back of her hand before he had the chance to see them. But T.K. being T.K. immediately noticed her tears and gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "Hey? Why are you crying, Kar?"

"I don't know I'm just gonna miss you _so_ much T.K." She smiled her angelic smile "Geez, I've been over emotional lately"

Her husband chuckled slightly at her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I gotta go but I can't wait until the next time I'll see you."

"Goodbye, T.K."

"Bye, I'll call you when I land in the States." He let her go and she immediately missed his strong arms. He winked at her and said "I'll be back before you know it"

"Right, love you"

"I love you too" He turned away from her and went through the gate and waved to her through the window She never liked to be away from him but the hardest part of it all was the goodbyes and she guessed that he thought the same way as she saw him walk out of her sight before she even had the chance to wave back.

* * *

**T****o Be Continued… **


	2. Chapter One

**A/N**_– Here's the next chapter of A Trip to Heaven and Back. I hope you'll enjoy it and I know there's no real flow in the timeline in this chapter but I just wanted to get into the story. And I noticed that I've spelt Yolei's name all wrong in the prologue. It's Yolei not Yolie._

_Oh and if something is written in italic it's __a memory, a phone conversation or a thought. I'm sure you'll understand in the context though. And just so you know I know nothing about doctors and such whatsoever so don't expect too much details in either this chapter or some further on._

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything, wish I did but I don't. Promise. ;)_

* * *

**Chapter One – Confirmation Of What's Expected**

_You sounded so good on the phone  
All moved up and all moved on  
Me and gravity we never could agree  
I can almost see the sky  
When I need to close my eyes  
You're the only thing that's worth holding on to_

_Angel – Matt Nathanson_

_4__th__ of August – 9.17 _

"No Sam, don't!" Yolei said smiling half annoyed by his current action and half amused by the way he never seemed to give up, if he wanted to do something he did it no matter what. She tried to remove his small hands from their strong hold on her hair. "Sam, don't pull my hair. It hurts."

"Mummy don't like?" The two year old asked looking up at his mother with his dark blue eyes. The boy was a spitting image of his father but he had inherited most of his mother's personality, mixed with a bit of Ken's calmness. The two of them were visiting Kari because Yolei thought that it was time for a 'girls only' day – including Sam of course, she couldn't be away from him more then a few hours.

"No, mummy doesn't like that, Sam. Let go." She gave him a stern look and he immediately obeyed and let most of her hair go but carefully kept a few strands and giggled as they tickled him when Yolei bent her head down. She sighed happily at the child. No matter how angry or annoyed she was at him she couldn't stay that for long. She couldn't resist his sweet looks and his childish laugh long and just looking at him made her extremely happy. She heard Kari laugh at the pair from the couch

"Just wait until you and T.K. get your own children. You'll have just the same trouble." At the comment Kari suddenly looked quiet uncomfortable and stopped laughing. She tuned her gaze away form Yolei and looked out of the window deep in thought. "You miss him a lot, huh" It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, I do." Kari said. "But that's not exactly it though."

"Then what is?" Kari looked unsure and Yolei felt that there was something she was keeping from her, something important. Her curiosity rose to the surface as she exclaimed. "Oh come on, Kari. Just tell me already!"

"I-I… I think that I am…" She wished that Gatomon was there but she, Patamon and some of the other digimon had gone to the Digiworld for the day. She was the only one who knew, even if she didn't fully understand it all. Kari had told Gatomon her suspicion and her partner had helped the best she could.

"Planning on getting to the point today, Kari?" Yolei asked impatiently. This made Kari look even more uncertain and Yolei smiled at her and softly said. "I'm sorry, Kari. I didn't mean to push you or anything but you know… Patience is not one of my best qualities."

"One of your best? Yolei, do you even possess that quality? I'm starting to be unsure about that." Kari said somewhat cheerfully taking the first chance she got at changing the subject. She had been wrong earlier. She wasn't ready to tell anyone, not even her best friend.

"Don't you even dare try to change the subject Hikari Takaishi!" Yolei said before she continued a bit calmer. "Tell me, Kar"

She couldn't help but smile at her new name and just as Yolei secretly had planned this made Kari build up her courage enough to tell her violet-haired friend just what was on her mind.

"I think I'm pregnant"

"What?!" Yolei jumped up from her position on the floor leaving a confused Sam behind and crushed Kari on the couch with a hug. "Oh I'm so happy for you! Have you told T.K. yet? How far are you? When did you found out?"

"Easy Yolei! I just found out myself I'm not really used to the idea yet" Kari said a bit startled by Yolei's reaction.

"Oh sorry" Yolei let her go but remained on the couch and took one of her hands in both of hers. "You're happy right?"

"Of course I'm happy but I'm just not sure that we're ready for a child yet. We're still newlyweds and both of us are just in the beginning of our careers. I'll have to go on maternity leave in a few months and I've just worked there a short amount of time so they'll most likely fire me. And knowing T.K. he'll want to be close to home and the baby but then he won't be able to fulfil his dream. And what will Matt and Tai say? For god's sake Tai thought we were marrying to quickly…"

"Slow down Kari. Let's see if I could keep up with your rambling. First of all you don't think T.K. would be happy about this? He would love it! We both know that the tour will just last a few weeks more and who said he even has to go on another trip? But if T.K. wouldn't go on one of them he wouldn't give up his dream." Yolei said smiling at the same time.

"What are you talking about? You know how excited he got when he got the opportunity to publish his book in America."

Yolei sighed before she continued with her pep talk. "What I mean is that he would give all that up to fulfil his other dream. To start a family with you"

Now when Kari really thought about it .T.K. had talked a lot about children and starting a family but she had thought he meant in the future. But what if he meant now? "You think so?"

"No. I know it!" Yolei said. "And honestly you worry about what Matt and Tai will say? They'll be thrilled! I can just imagine the two of them fighting for their niece or nephew attention." They both let out a small laugh at that before Yolei continued. "And your work will understand, you said your boss was kind so it'll be just fine. Now it's time for you to answer some of my questions"

Kari waited for a question but Yolei remained quiet as she went to pick Sam up and put him on her lap. Then she realized that Yolei meant all those questions she blurted out earlier right after Kari told her about her possible pregnancy. "Yolei, did you really think that I would remember all those questions?"

"Not really I just wanted to check how good your memory was" Kari gave her a quick glare "Alright, alright. Have you told T.K. yet?"

"No, you are the first _human_ I've told" Yolei raised an eyebrow at the specific word and Kari quickly explained "Gatomon"

"You told Gatomon before me?"

"Well, yes. I needed someone to just listen while I talked about meaningless things." Kari bit her lip and looked up at Yolei "Not that you wouldn't listen it's just that… When I talked to Gatomon it didn't really feel as real as it feels now, after telling you"

"I understand. But… Did she even understand what you were talking about?

"No, that's why it didn't feel so real" Kari smiled before softly putting one of her hands on her still flat stomach.

"Are you sure?"

"Not entirely but I've got all the signs. My period is late, morning sickness and I've done two of those tests that you can buy on a pharmacy."

"And?!" Yolei said meaningfully.

"Positive"

"Great" Yolei said enthusiastic. "Right?"

"Yeah, I think so" Kari smiled a bright smile "I have to go to a doctor to get it confirmed though. Can you come with me maybe? I don't want to go there alone and I want to be sure before I tell T.K."

"Of course I'll come with you, I'll take you to my doctor she is great. Isn't she Sam?" The both of them look down at the boy just to find asleep resting his head against Yolei's chest. "I wondered why he was so quite. Anyway my doctor is great, I'll take you to her unless you already got one"

"I don't so thanks, Mrs Ichijouji"

Even after being married for more then two years Yolei felt herself blush and smile goofily at her title. "So… How long have you known that you'll probably be a mother within a few months and how many months are we talking about?"

"I'm not sure about how many months but I did the tests a few days ago. Though… I began to suspect a few days before T.K. left for America."

"And you didn't tell him?" Yolei asked and glared a bit accusingly at her.

"No! I didn't because what if I was wrong? I was only guessing back then and what if he would've stayed just because of my pregnancy and then it turned out that I was wrong."

"Okay, okay. I just thought that he'd have the right to know even if you weren't one hundred percent sure… Anyway, when are you going to tell him?"

"I don't know. I wanna be absolutely sure first so it'll be after I've seen a doctor." She went up form the couch and walked over to the full-length mirror in the hall. She lifted her t-shirt and looked down at her stomach. "Well, I can't see a thing going on down there"

"Stupid, you're not going to show until a month or two. Depending on how far into the pregnancy you are"

"Yeah, I know"

"You should tell T.K. soon in case you are pregnant. It's his child too and it is something he ought to now quite early. Imagine if he would one day say 'Kari, you're looking different today have you gained some weight or something?'"

"Yolei! T.K. would ask me that!" Yolei laughed at Kari's shocked and quite offended expression as she tried to defend her husband. "I know what you mean by that though… I'm gonna tell him right when he gets home, this isn't something you should tell someone over the phone."

"Yes you're right about that. Ken fainted when I told him. But then again we were only nineteen." She looked down at her still sleeping son and smiled. "I wonder how T.K. will react. Maybe he'll…" But she was cut off by the phone that began to ring at the same moment.

"Hang on a sec, I gotta answer this." Kari said as she picked up the cordless telephone.

"Hello, Takaishi residence"

"_Hey, beautiful"_

"Hi T.K.!" Kari exclaimed happily as she heard who it was. "How did you're meeting today go?"

"_It went great! The company we talked to today is very interested in translating the book to __English and publish it. So now we got three different possible American publishers so if were lucky we'll get a really good price to it. Thanks for asking"_

"That's great! I'm so happy for you"

"_So… __What are you doing today and are you feeling any better?"_

"Yeah, I'm fine" She could almost see him roll his eyes on the other side of the phone. She looked quickly at Yolei and Sam before continuing "Really I am! And me, Yolei and Sam are having a girls only day"

"_Sure, sure. Whatever you say." _She could hear him mumble_ "So you mean that Sam's a girl now?"_

"Yes, he is for the day"

"_I see… Poor kid. I'm__ really sorry Kari put I can't talk very long today, I've got some meeting thing in fifteen minutes and I gotta prepare and stuff. But I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" _

"Fine, I'll talk to you tomorrow then. I love you"

"_I love you too. And say hello to __Yolei and Sam from me. Bye" _

"Bye" Kari hung up the phone and put it down on the table. She had talked to T.K. everyday since he left for his trip. Sometimes their conversations could go on for hours and sometimes it was just a quick check like today.

* * *

_6__th__ of August – 12.11_

Kari looked up from the magazine she was reading as she heard a nurse call her name. She and Yolei were currently in a waiting room of a small private clinic where Yolei's doctor worked in. They rose and followed the nurse down a long hallway and into another room. The room looked like a typical examination room with white walls and a lot of medical stuff which neither Kari nor Yolei knew much about. There was a poster of all the stages in a pregnancy showing the baby's growth with every month at one of the walls.

"Dr Fujita will come in just a few minutes" Said the nurse before she left them and went into another room across the hallway.

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do right now, Yolei?" Kari said anxiously.

"Of course, otherwise you won't be sure you're pregnant until the time when you're beginning to show. Besides Dr Fujita is the best she helped me with all sorts of things when I was pregnant and told me everything I needed to know. You know stuff that I didn't have a clue about." Yolei said fast and reassuringly.

"Yeah I guess I'm just nervous."

"Everyone's nervous during their first pregnancy Mrs Takaishi it's absolutely normal for first time moms." A friendly looking female doctor said as she walked into the room with a smile. "Hello Yolei, nice to see you again. How is Sam doing?"

"It's good to see you too Dr Fujita. Sam's doing great and growing faster then I thought he would" Yolei announced happily.

"They have a tendency to do that." Dr Fujita walked over to Kari and held out her hand for Kari to shake, which she of course did. "I'm Dr Fujita and I certainly hope that you are Mrs Takaishi otherwise I made a fool out of myself calling you that when I came in"

"That's me so you didn't, but you can call me Kari"

"Okay Kari. So you think you're pregnant?" Dr Fujita said as she sat down on one of the many chairs in the room and motioned with her hand for Kari and Yolei to do the same. Kari nodded yes to her questioned. The doctor picked up a notebook and a pen from her desk and began to take notes of their conversation. "Have you done a pregnancy test?"

"Yes I did two just to be sure a couple of days ago and both were positive" Kari replied as she looked nervously at Yolei who just smiled at her reassuringly.

"Okay good. Let's do some test and you'll know for sure"

_Fifteen minutes later…_

"Congratulations Kari you're almost four weeks pregnant!"

"Perfecto" Yolei exclaimed happily and hugged the soon-to-be mom. Kari remained silent stunned but the sudden confirmation. Sure, she was almost certain that she was pregnant before they went to see Dr Fujita but then she had some doubts about it. But now when she faced the truth that she really was pregnant she was shocked. Slowly her lips formed into a smile and tears whelmed up in her eyes as she hugged Yolei back.

"I certainly hope that's happy tears rolling down your cheeks Kari" Dr Fujita said kindly. Unable to answer due to her tears Kari nodded in answer. "Do you know who the father is?

Quickly trying to find her voice Kari replied. "Yes, my husband Takeru Takaishi. But I haven't told him yet"

"Well, then I suggest that you do and then bring him with you to your next appointment. I'll call you in about a month and we'll decide time and date." With that she followed Kari and Yolei out of the room and kindly wished Kari good luck with telling the father-to-be about her pregnancy.

_

* * *

_

_21__st__ of August – 03.26_

_Ring, Ring_

"Who the hell is calling this early" Kari said to herself as she reached for the phone on the nightstand, silently cursing whoever was calling her this early in the morning. "Hello"

"Kari wake up, Mimi's in the hospital" Tai yelled on the other side of the phone.

"I am awake, Tai. How could I otherwise answer the phone?" Kari said not really awake and comprehending all that he had just said. "Hang on… What?! Is she alright?"

"I'm not sure, I just talked to Izzy on the phone and I heard her screaming like hell and he said something about the baby coming and to get my ass there as soon as possible. I'm on my way to pick you up so hurry will you?"

"Of course, see you soon… Wait, Izzy said ass?"

"Yeah I know, he must be in shock or something"

_Twenty minutes later…_

"Hey guys, are we too late?" Tai yelled to their friends as they rushed down the hallway.

Their friends were spread out over the small waiting room and it was clear to the sibling that there had been a small fight over small amount the chairs. There were only three chairs in the room which was currently occupied by Cody, Matt with Sora in his lap and Ken with Yolei sitting on the floor leaning against his legs with Sam sleeping softly in her arms. Joe leaned against the wall and Davis sat on the middle of the floor looking annoyed, but when Kari and Tai came into the room he smiled and teased. "Sorry guys there are no seats left."

Tai groaned and sat down leaning against the wall. "You're fault, sis"

"How could it be her fault?" Davis said defending his friend but went quiet as Tai glared at him.

"You honestly thought I was mad at her?"

"Ehm… No?" Davis said looking at their leader. "Geez, Kari was right. You're so not a morning person!"

"I gotta ask, Tai. How do you do it?" Matt asked as he looked at his nearly asleep best friend. Still with his eyes closed Tai raised an eyebrow in confusion. "How come the Kamiya siblings always are the last ones to arrive when we all meet like this?" Now Tai opened his eyes and glared at him clearly annoyed. "Hey, it's true and you know it!"

"Well at least this time it wasn't my fault as I pointed out before" Tai said somewhat proudly "Kari was throwing up over their entire place when I got there."

"Don't exaggerate it, brother. Besides we would've been the last ones anyways" Kari said embarrassed as she blushed. _I hate this morning sickness._

"No we wouldn't have…" Tai said quietly but knowing his sister temper he dropped the topic there and once again closed his eyes.

"Are you okay, Kari?" Sora asked. "You've been sick a lot lately"

"Yeah love sick" Matt mumbled under his breath trying to hide his smile as Sora elbowed him in the ribs. "What? It's true!"

Kari smiled at her brother-in-law before answering Sora "I'm just fine, I've just caught something. Nothing contagious though" She quickly added as some of them backed away.

"Do you know what it is?" Joe asked from across the room.

"Nope, not for sure." She lied. She hated to lie to her friends but what would T.K. think if he was the last one she told that they we're gonna be parents? Besides she wasn't ready for the whole world to know just yet. Her eyes locked with Yolei's and her fellow digidestined quickly got the hint and tried to change the subject.

"So… Anyone know how long they've been there?"

"Just an hour or so" Joe replied and being the reliable person he was he advised. "This might take awhile so everyone who's tired tries to get some sleep."

Even though the subject now had changed away from her Kari felt that Sora's gaze was directed towards her. Kari looked up and met her gaze and quickly understood that Sora noticed how Yolei had changed the subject while it had gone unnoticed by the men in the room.

"I have to go to the bathroom. Anyone care to join me?" She looked between the both girls indicating to them to follow her.

"I don't think it will be very popular if a guy comes with you Sor" Matt said. "Imagine look on all the girls' faces if Davis got in there with you"

"Heey, I'm not going with her. You go Mr Astronaut, she's your fiancée"

"Ehm… Guys? I don't think she meant one of us." Cody said as Yolei gave the still sleeping Sam to her husband and together with Kari followed Sora into the girls' bathroom a bit down the hallway.

"What's wrong with them?" Davis asked confused. "And how come girls never can go to the bathroom alone?"

"Well, they're girls so there's probably nothing wrong with them and they just use it as an excuse" Ken said as he held Sam close.

_In the girl's bat__hroom…_

"Are you pregnant?" Sora asked as soon as the door closed behind them.

"I…" Was the only thing Kari managed to reply as she was startled by the sudden confrontation. She had realized Sora suspected something but not that she had figured out the whole thing. "Well, yeah… I am"

"Thank god!" Sora exclaimed seeming extremely relieved. She wrapped her arms around her almost sister-in-law and hugged her tightly. "Or else I would've no idea why you were sick"

"But Sora… Don't tell Matt or anyone else. I haven't told T.K. yet and I don't want him to find out from someone else." Kari said as Sora let her go.

"Okay, I won't. One more thing I just have to know before we go out to the others again. How far gone are you?"

"Six weeks"

"Six weeks? And you haven't told T.K. yet?"

"I haven't had the chance yet. I wasn't absolutely sure until after he left and I don't wanna tell him over the phone." Kari said. "It wouldn't be right"

"Okay, I get it" Sora said understanding Kari's reasons.

"Here" Yolei said and handed a paper mug filled with water. "Morning sickness, it sure doesn't leave a nice taste afterwards. At least from what I remember"

"Thanks." After she finished drinking the water she threw the mug into a trashcan and the three females left the bathroom and rejoined the others.

"Hey, look they're back" Tai announced happily. He was now fully awake and judging by the state his hair and the front of his shirt were in one of the male digidestined, probably Matt or Davis, had poured water over the heavy sleeper. Tai didn't look particularly disturbed that one of his best friends had made him soaked in water but then again this was a common thing between the group of friends. The childish and immature way they all acted sometimes while they were together was a thing they all loved.

"We're back and by looking at you I can tell that we missed some fun stuff." Kari said as she sat down next to her brother on the floor. "Why didn't I come up with that brilliant idea?"

"Very funny, Kar" Her brother said and childishly stuck out his tongue at her.

"Yeah, I know"

"Is it just me or are the girls keeping something from us?" Cody whispered to Ken who sat in the chair next to him.

"You weren't the only one who noticed that. There's something they're not telling us." Ken whispered back and looked at Yolei who was heading his way. "But I'm sure that whatever it is they'll tell us later"

Not hearing the silent conversation Kari pulled up her cell phone from her pocket and started counting backwards in her head. Matt noticed this and smiled as he figured out what she was doing. "Trying to figure out what time it is in New York, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Don't wanna wake him or anything like that." She then looked at her brother. "Unlike someone I'm kind and think about the time _before_ I make the call"

"Hey, you want to be here right?"

"That doesn't mean I enjoy waking up at 3 am"

"Yeah, yeah whatever…" Was the only reply Tai gave her.

"Great now I lost count" Kari said as she once again began to count backwards in her head. It was 3 pm in New York so she quickly dialled T.K. number, hoped that he wasn't in some meeting and then waited for him to pick up.

"_Hi honey, why are you calling?"_ She heard her husband say on the other side of the line. _"Isn't it like… 3-4 am in Japan?"_

"Hey T.K.! Yeah actually it is"

"_Then… Why aren't you sleeping?" _

"Because I'm at the hospital…" She was quickly interrupted and she heard the change in his tone going from happy and curious to extremely worried.

"_What?! Are you okay?"_

"Yeah, stupid, I'm fine. It's Mimi she's having the baby, like now or something I don't know."

"_She is? Damn I knew I would miss something while away… Congratulate them from me will you?"_

"Of course, I'll do that. So, what have you done today? Or yesterday really based on the time difference"

"_I'm on a break right now. I had meeting with the publisher at noon and tonight where having some kind of dinner with some publishers from Europe" _He sounded genuinely happy about everything even the meetings which Kari suspected could get quiet boring.

"Made any progress?"

"_Not really today.__ We mostly discussed about tonight and how to make a good impression. Oh and you know what I've done more today?"_

"Ehm… I don't know." Kari said before she made a lame guess. "Reading?"

"_Well, yes… __But that was not what I meant. I and a bunch of colleagues went sightseeing in New York today so I've seen the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, the Twin Towers and lots of other fascinating buildings. I've emailed you some pictures. Not as good ones as you take but I did my best."_

"I'll check my inbox directly when I get home. Did you see Times Square?"

"_Yeah, mighty__. Anyway I think you would like it here. How about if we could travel here someday? You know, just the two of us almost like when we were kids"_

"I would love that. Almost like a second honeymoon or what?"

"_Exactly! By the way, is my brother there?"_

"Yes, Matt's here" Matt looked up when he heard his name and gave Kari a questioning look. "Wanna talk to him?"

"_Sure, I love you"_

"Love you too" She handed Matt the phone.

"Hey squirt, what's up?" He said as he walked out of the room and out of hearing distance.

* * *

_21__st__ of August – 7.39 _

"Oh Mimi, she's so adorable!"

"Look at her small fingers!"

"She's going to have your brain right, Izzy?"

"Hey what do you mean by that, Tai?"

"Eh, nothing Meems"

The whole gang is gathered in Mimi's room in the hospital after waiting for hours. Mimi was holding the baby while Izzy sat besides her never taking his eyes of is newborn daughter. The others were watching from distance letting the little family have some space for themselves.

"Her hair is so not going to work with pink though…" Mimi said sadly indicating to her reddish hair "But you know what" she said lifting her eyes to meet Izzy's "Green is a pretty colour too"

Kari sighed as she looked at the baby and absently touched her tummy lovingly with her hand. Sora tapped her shoulder lightly and smiled kindly towards her before she removed Kari's hand carefully away from her tummy and Kari quickly knew why, if someone saw her rubbing her stomach her secret would be out.

"So mommy and daddy what's her name?" Yolei asked enthusiastically.

The two looked at each other before Izzy said "Makato Izumi, but we're gonna call her Katy for short"

"How sweet!"

"Yeah it really fits her"

"I'm sorry but both Mimi and the baby need to rest, so you're all going to have to leave" A doctor that just came into the room said. Everyone except Mimi, Izzy and Katy left the room after saying goodbye, hug them and congratulate them once again.

* * *

**To Be Continued…**


	3. Chapter Two

_**A/N**__: I hope I got the time difference correct in the chapter. I'm a bit unsure… How do you describe it when you rush towards a locked door with the help of a heavy item? I have no idea._

___Well, here comes **the **chapter... You know where the whole thing happens. _

_Disclaimer: It's called __**Fan**__Fiction, what do you think? _

**

* * *

**

Chapter Two – Let's Roll

_I know I said I love you,  
I know you know it's true,  
I've got to put the phone down,  
and do what we got to do._

_One's standing in the aisle way,  
Two more at the door,  
We've got to get inside there,  
Before they kill some more._

___One's standing in the aisle way,  
Two more at the door,  
We've got to get inside there,  
Before they kill some more._

Time is runnin' out,  
Let's roll.  
Time is runnin' out,  
Let's roll.

No time for indecision,  
We've got to make a move,  
I hope that were forgiven,  
For what we got to

How this all got started,  
I'll never understand,  
I hope someone can fly this thing,  
And get us back to land

_Let's Roll – Neil Young_

11th of September – 19.00

"Kari? Where should I put this?" Cody asked showing her the giant bowl full of chips he was currently holding.

"Just put it on the table in the living room." Kari replied looking up from the cucumber she was working on. "We'll save it for later"

When they were younger the digidestined always had a sleepover once a month. It was a tradition they were trying to keep even in their adulthood, though they didn't have them as often as before. It was nice having something in just the same way as from their childhood, only now they were a few more attendants - their kids. They took turns of being the host of the event and this time it was Kari's turn so almost everyone were gathered at her and T.K.'s place. The only missing digidestined was the wielder of the crest of hope.

Kari, Davis and Sora were currently working in the kitchen preparing the food for later. Occasionally someone, like Cody just did, would come in and offer to help with something. Otherwise the others were in the living room catching up on everything that had happened since they last met all together. The hot topic of this gathering was little Katy who slept peacefully in her mother's arms. How she could sleep with everything going on around her was for Kari a mystery. Sam sat in Ken's lap leaning over form time to time trying to get a good look at the infant. He wasn't used to not being the youngest and for a kid he seemed unbelievably fascinated by the little girl.

"Hey Kari… I thought T.P. was going to be back today. Where is he?" Davis asked still focused on his noodles. The digidestined would be the first to taste his new receipt which he would put on the menu the next day. He still didn't call T.K. by his right name but now it was more of an internal joke between the two.

"Well, that was the plan but his plane got delayed so he'll be home tomorrow instead."

"He's gonna miss one hell of a sleepover."

"Yeah… He's gonna call when he switch plane in San Francisco." Nothing had happened to T.K. on his trip. It had all been in her head that something bad was gonna happen to him. Maybe the weird feeling in her stomach had somehow been the baby? She did not know. "I said that I should tell you that he was sorry that he couldn't make it here to taste your exquisite noodles and that you have to let him taste them as soon as he gets back."

"No problem. He'll get to be the first in line when I open the cart tomorrow" Davis only had his noodle cart open during the afternoon saying that it was way to early to open any sooner.

"Are you ready soon, Davis?" They both turned around and saw Tai leaning against the doorway. "I'm starving"

"Patience, man. It takes a while to do the best!"

"Yeah, yeah whatever just hurry up will you?" Tai whined. "I'm hungry."

"In that case, Davis… Hurry! Tai's so cranky when he's hungry!" Kari said giggling at her brother.

"Heey, look who's talking." Tai said before he ran up to her. He lifted her up from the worktop, where she had been sitting while cutting the vegetables, and over his shoulders easily.

"Put me down! You know Tai I'm holding a knife and you are a very tempting target." Kari said threateningly.

He laughed at her outburst but obeyed her command and put her down on the floor. Just as she put the knife aside he began to tickle her and being extremely ticklish Kari couldn't help but laugh.

"Taaaaai!" She said laughing "Stop it!"

"No way, sis" But eventually he quit and said teasingly "Have you gained weight or something, little sister"

"Hey! No wonder you don't have a girlfriend no man should ever ask a woman that" She shoot him a dirty glance. "I miss T.K. and then I eat, humph"

"Good thing T.K. coming home soon then" Tai said once again teasing her. "Otherwise you might have to roll to get anywhere!"

Kari just laughed at her brother but let out a small sigh in relief that he had actually believed her fabricated excuse.

_

* * *

_

11_th __of September – 22.33_

"I'm telling you guys she's the one" They were all sitting in Kari and T.K.'s living room listening to Davis. A, according to him, extremely hot woman had bought noodles from him last week and he was certain that there had been sparks between them. "I'm sure of it, I'm gonna marry her one day!"

"Did you even talk to her?" Yolei asked clearly not believing a thing of what he had just said.

"Yes, I did! She told me she wanted the VeemonSpecialMix and I told her the price. And you know what she said then?"

"Something tells me you're gonna tell us anyway…" Matt mumbled.

"She said to me 'You'll see me here more often. These are delicious!' and you all know what that means. She likes me!"

"Or it's your noodles she likes." Sora said. "Don't hope too much Davis, you'll end up with a broken heart." He glared at her. "I mean if things don't go the way you've planned."

"But it will. She looked at me with hunger in her eyes"

"I wonder why?" Tai said laughing at the noodle maniac. "Maybe she was… Hungry!" He laughed even harder at his own statement and had to lean on Joe so he wouldn't fall. The others soon joined him infected by his laughter and Davis just stared at them unsure what to do. But he was saved by the bell or rather by the telephone. The still laughing Kari reached for the phone. She looked at the caller ID before she answered it.

"Hey T.K." She said happily "Are you already in San Francisco? I thought it would take a couple of more hours until you…"

"_Kari"_ He interrupted. Just hearing his voice made her worried. Something clearly wasn't right. _"Kari, I love you"_

"I love you too. What's going on?" Her face worked as a mirror towards her thoughts and the others turned equally confused. Her gaze met Matt's who silently asked if his brother was alright. Not knowing the answer she looked away.

"_They've taken control over our plane too, the terrorists. We're being hijacked"_

"What?! You serious?" She knew he was but she couldn't stop the proclamation from coming out of her mouth. She had heard in his voice that this wasn't a joke of any kind, it was reality.

"Kari? What's going on?" Matt asked not able to stay silent any longer. She held up one finger indicating for him to wait.

"They're not going to do anything stupid, right?" She asked hoping that they wouldn't but subconsciously knew her hopes were for nothing.

"_Kari, it's a suicide mission"_

"Oh my god" She felt the tears beginning to form in her eyes but quickly blinked them away, she had to focus. She heard her brother calling her name worriedly but she ignored him. "You sure?"

"_You don't know what just happened in New York?" _T.K. said sounding a bit shocked how she could've missed that. _"Turn on the news and you'll understand why I'm so sure."_

She quickly obeyed reaching for the remote to turn it on. She flipped a few channels and then almost dropped the phone at the sight. There was a video showing an air plane flying into one of the two twin towers while the other one was burning in the background.

'_Around 8.45 am this morning an airplane flew straight into the north of the two twin towers, about fifteen minutes later a second plane hit the other one and both of them have now collapsed. Thousands of lives might have been lost in this attack that from what our sources know is done by terrorist. We also have reports of two other hijacked planes. One of them is flying straight towards Washington D.C. and the other one is in the air around Cleveland. We believe that both of those planes have similar targets so they are now evacuating many important __buildings that could be possible targets'_

"Oh god" Was all she managed to say. The other digidestined now seemed to understand a bit of what was going on. "One of those two planes is yours, isn't it?"

"_Yes, the one over Cleveland" _

"No…" Was all she could say before the tears overwhelmed her. She began to shake uncontrollably as the tears flooded down her cheeks. She held the phone in a tight grip not wanting to miss anything he was going to say afraid that she could miss his last words.

"_Calm down, Kari. Please, calm down." _T.K. begged. _"Please don't cry, angel."_

Now understanding even more of what was happening Tai crossed the room and gently took the crying Kari in his arms trying to comfort her the best he could. He gently took the phone out of her grasp and pressed a button turning the speaker mode on. He handed the phone to Matt as he carried Kari to the couch.

"_Kari? Are you still there?" _T.K.'s voice could be heard over the whole room. _"Kari?"_

"Hey Teeks. Don't worry she's still here, just not really able to talk quite yet…" Matt said trying to keep his voice steady. He felt Sora slip her hand into his and he smiled at her thankful for the comfort.

"_Oh hey Matt. I guess you know what's going on over here, huh?"_

"Yeah, kinda. We're all here and you're on the speaker just so you know."

"_Okay, hi guys. Guess you know I'm not gonna make it back to Japan tomorrow either…" _He said trying to sound cheerful but failing.

"What exactly happened to you, T.K.? I can't say the news is a very reliable source of fact." Izzy asked.

"_Well, nothing in t__he beginning really. About 10 minutes ago a few men, probably from the Middle East, took out small knives and started to shout out threats about crashing the plane, but I don't think it was threats. I think they actually told us their plan… Nothing really has happened after that they're just standing there as if to make sure we're not gonna revolt or something like that. "_

"Are you?"

"_I'm not sure…" _T.K. replied but before anyone had a chance to question him more about that they could hear him murmur to himself. "_What the hell are they doing now?"_

"T.K.?"

No answer.

"T.K.?" Matt repeated, this time frantic. "Are you there?"

"_Yeah, sorry 'bout that… They're up to something. I just don't know what yet.__ I'm sure it's noth…" _They could hear him gasp as he was interrupted by screams in the background. _"Oh shit, they didn't!"_

They heard how there was some kind of moment close by and a young girl's scream could be heard. _"Mommy? NO!_ _MOMMY!" _

"_Nikki get back here." _T.K.'s half screaming voice could be heard in the masses. There were even more movement now and they could hear someone sob close by. _"Nic, don't look okay? Come on. Don't cry, girl. Don't cry, Nikki"_

"_What are they gonna do now?!" _A female voice screamed in the background, and she wasn't the only one screaming either. Shouts of panic came from everywhere and if T.K. had said something in that moment they wouldn't have heard it.

"_Aaaaah!"_

"_We're going down! We're gonna crash!"_

Kari looked up from Tai's chest with a horror struck facial expression at the most recent words they'd heard. Her eyes met Matt's and he shared the same expression. Was this it? Was the last thing T.K. had heard from her sobbing? And were the last words she _ever _heard T.K. say to another person telling her she didn't have to cry?

She along with many other digidestineds let out a sigh in relief when they heard an unknown man say. _"We're not gonna crash, the plane's just turning around!"_

"T.K.! What the hell is going on there?!" Matt exclaimed asking the question that was on everyone's mind.

"_They… They killed one of us. And now they steering the plane in the opposite direction. I think… I think we're going back to New York. Or __at least somewhere close by."_ A feeling of relief went through the room as they heard T.K.'s voice, his words however weren't comforting at all and they could still hear someone sob close to him.

"T.K.? Are you alright?" Kari asked her voice shaky and full of concern.

"_Yeah, I'm just fine. Don't worry, Kar" _There were a lot going on in the background. By the sound of it people were still screaming and it was hard for Kari and the others to hear what T.K. said. As a voice louder then the rest was heard they all fell somewhat silent and the digidestined could all hear the end.

"…_remain seated. We have a bomb." _The voice with a heavy accent said.

"Oh my god" Mimi whispered the words that everyone were thinking.

"Kari?" Sora asked from across the room. "Kari, you have to tell him." Kari immediately understood what she meant by that and she turned her gaze to look at Yolei who nodded encouragingly. She gathered some courage within herself and dried her tears with the back of her hand. The part of the digidestined which were clueless of what they were talking about just stared at her unknown to what was going on. She held out her hand and Matt handed her the phone a bit reluctantly. Kari turned of the speaker and walked into their bedroom. She could almost feel the others gazes burn through the door as she carefully closed it behind her.

"T.K.?"

"_I'm still here, Kari"_

"T.K. I gotta tell you something. Something important. I would have told you sooner if I'd known this would happen but I wanted to tell you in person, not like this." She had a hard time keeping it together and she had to stop to take a deep breath. "But I can't… I can't let you… You know _go_, without knowing."

"_I'm not going anywhere, at least not if I can prevent it." _T.K. said trying to calm her. _"What did you want to tell me?"_

"We're gonna be parents."

"_What? Oh god." _She could hear his voice filled with both happiness and sadness. As if he felt that she'd heard the sadness part he added. _"I mean it's great, but the timing could've been better…"_

"I know… I don't know if I can make it without you, T.K."

"_Come on Kari. You don't even now if you have to try. Hope that I'll survive this and I will."_

"Yeah… Hope" She wasn't Hope she was Light. He had always been full with hope while she and the others had given up a long time ago. Kari had no clue how he managed to be so hopeful all the time, especially now. From what she knew hope wasn't always a good thing, it could make people blind from the rest of the world. But his hope was always good no matter what. She rose and walked over to the window, on the windowsill there was a photograph showing the two of them on their wedding day not so long ago. She stayed there and looked through the window at the still awake town below, the people oblivious to the terror happening at the same time on another continent.

"_How… How long into the pregnancy are you?"_

"Nine weeks, I found out almost right before you left."

"_Well, that explains why you've been sick. I gotta tell you, I've been worried about that." _His voice made her calm even at a time like this, he made her calm even without knowing it. How could she make it without him? _"Does anyone else know? Tai, Matt, Sora?"_

"Sora and Yolei. I told Yolei and Sora figured it all out by herself."

"_Good. And you know that they and our brothers will help you no matter what."_

There was a knock on the door and she heard her brother call. "Kari, are you alright in there?"

"I'm coming." She called back and into the phone she said. "I love you T.K., so much. I don't think I've told you that enough times"

"_I love you too, angel. Hope and Light belong together, forever."_

She took the photograph in her free hand and held it against her chest as she turned and walked out from the room. The others looked at her expectantly waiting for her to turn on the speaker, which she did as she sat down next to Matt and Tai on the couch. Both of them reached out and removed the objects from her hands. Tai took the photograph putting it on a side table while Matt took the phone and carefully put it down in the middle of the room so that everyone could hear equally well. "Teeks, you still there?"

"_Yeah, I am"_

"They haven't done anyth…" Matt started but was cut off by a well known sound coming from Izzy's computer. A light came from it and revealed their partners.

"Sorry we're late, Kari. Time passes fast when you're having fun!" Gatomon said before her eyes adjusted to the new bright surrounding. "What-?"

"Who's dead?" Gomamon exclaimed trying to lighten up the mood. Instead of that he got a bunch of glares from the group. "Geez, you guys have no sense of humour!"

"Stop it, Gomamon" Joe said kindly, knowing that his digimon was just trying to cheer them up. Gomamon jumped up in the lap of his partner looking at him closely.

"What's wrong, Joe?" Joe just looked down in the floor and shook his head in reply.

"What is going on here, Izzy?" Tentomon asked as he flew to his partner's side. "You guys look like it's the end of the world."

"Yeah you look horrible." Patamon said before asking worriedly "Where's T.K.? Wouldn't he be back hours ago?"

"_I'm here Patamon, kinda at least"_

"T.K. what's going on? Don't tell me your flight got delayed _again. _It goes so much faster flying yourself then trusting those strange machines"

"_It's not the plane's fault, Pata."_

"Then whose is it?" Patamon asked hovering in the air beside Matt. "And why aren't you home yet?"

"_The thing is I might not get home at all…"_They heard how T.K. took a deep breath and then continued. _"There have been some complications with my plane and we're not going to… We're not going to the destination we thought we would."_

"What's he talking about, Matt?" Gabumon asked. "Where's he going?"

"Yeah, I think I speak for all us digimon when I say this…" Gatomon said as she tried to comfort the now crying Kari. "What is going on? And I want a straight answer!"

"Where are you going T.K.?" Patamon asked his partner. "Are you just gonna leave us here?"

"_Patamon, I've got no control at all over this I don't want to leave but I might not have a choice... And for the where part it's northeast somewhere, that's as specific as I can be." _Patamon turned and flapped his wings forcefully flying in the direction to where the balcony was. He did however not make it there as Agumon and Gabumon grabbed him and held him back.

"Let me go, let me go!" Patamon yelled as he tried to break free from their grip. "I have to help T.K.!"

"Patamon, you're never going to make it there in time. We don't even know exactly where they are." Cody explained to him as he almost managed to get out from their grasp.

"That doesn't mean I can at least try. I'm not going to just sit here!"

"_Patamon, please stay where you are." _T.K. both begged and commanded _"You might get hurt on the way and it's too much of a risk too even try to fly over the Pacific Ocean."_

"B-but I can't just do nothing!"

"_Please Patamon. It's t__oo late for any of you guys to do anything"_

"Okay…" Patamon said and flew over to where Gatomon now sat on the back of the couch.

"_Thank you" _T.K. replied sincerely. They could hear how someone approached him and then a dark male voice asked.

"_Takaishi, you in?"_

"_I'm in!"_T.K. replied determinedly to whoever was asking him.

"What are you in on T.K.? You're not doing anything to draw attention to yourself, right?" Tai asked his brother-in-law knowing that if he did he would probably get himself killed.

"_That depends on what you count as drawing attention…"_

"T.K.?"

"_Well, me and some other guys are going to try to break into the cockpit in a little while."_

"What?! Are you being serious T.K.?" Kari asked somewhat in panic. "They'll kill you before you'll even get the chance to try."

"_Come on Kari, we can't just sit here waiting for them to crash us and the plane into some building with no chance of surviving and killing thousands of innocent people. We're gonna try to take the control over the plane and hopefully make it out of here alive, or at least not kill as many as they've planned."_

"T.K.?"

"_Not you too Matt. You know I have to do it, I can't just sit around waiting for life to end" _T.K. said harshly unintentionally telling them just by his tone how scared he really was. He was no Tai or Davis but he was one of the bravest persons she knew and she'd only seen him scared a couple of times. _"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so harsh it's just so… so tense around here right now and I've kinda let it get to me"_

"I wasn't telling you to either Teeks, calm down" Matt knew his brother could never just sit there and watch and if it had been him on that plane he would've done the exact same thing. He also knew that no matter what they told him T.K. wouldn't change his mind, he would do what he thought was the right thing. "How many are they?"

"_Well, there are three of them that we've seen but I think they got a fourth flying the plane. Because one of the flight attendant said that both pilots are dead… And we're around 40 passengers. All of us can't fight but we who can are going to fight like there's no tomorrow, because it isn't otherwise…"_

"Don't say like that T.K. you never know what could happen, maybe they'll freak out and just let you all go." Matt said trying to convince both T.K. and himself but not succeeding.

"_Believe me Matt, these guys aren't like that. Not even close… They are like, I don't know but they won't abandon their mission. Something big is behind these things and whoever or whatever is behind it haven't selected some cowards to do it. They're like machines with a mission and they'll do everything to succeed." _He sounded sure about what he was talking about and that worried the others, what if T.K. was right and there were no other way out of it for them then to fight.

"I think I'm talking for all of us when I say this T.K., do what you gotta do because you are the only one to decide on that, and be careful so that you can be back here as soon as possible." Tai said solemnly taking his role as the leader.

"_Right Tai, I'll do my best__. No way that I'm missing everything that's gonna happen when I get back. Right Kari?"_

"Yeah" Kari managed to say. "Right"

"_T.K.?" _They could hear a little girl say. _"What are you gonna do?"_

"_We're just gonna try to get us all out of here. Don't worry, Nikki." _They heard some movement and then the girl's silent sobs was closer to the phone. _"It'll be okay, you'll see"_

"T.K.? Who are you talking to?" Mimi asked curiously a bit eager to find out who this girl was.

"_Oh, it's Nikki. She's got the seat next to me and… And her mother was the one they…" _He struggled to find the right words. _"Her mother is gone"_

"What do you mean by gone? Oh… Oh my god…" Sora began to ask before she knew what he had meant.

"_Yeah, you could say that."_

They were all silent for a moment not knowing what to say. They should probably talk with T.K. as much as they could this being maybe the last time they spoke to him _ever_ but none of their words seem to be right for the situation. Mentally they were all preparing for the fact that they might lose one of their team members. That in a matter of _minutes_ they might just be eleven Japanese digidestineds.

"_I gotta go now, but I'll see you guys later. I hope"_T.K. said with a hint of insecurity in his voice that none of them had ever heard before, he might have been scared numerous times but not insecure not their T.K. Takaishi.

"You'll get out of there T.K." Matt said hoping to build T.K.'s confident up.

"_Hopefully I do"_

Matt had never been a guy who talked a lot about emotions and what he was feeling but seeming this might be the last chance he had to tell his brother how much he really did care for him he took it. "You know Teeks I might not have told you this but… I love you, little brother"

"_You seriously though I didn't know that? There's other ways then saying it out loud you know. And I love you too big brother."_

"Good luck, squirt"

"_I'll sure need that…" _

Matt handed the phone to Kari who took it and held it firmly in both her hands. It was time for her goodbye. No matter how much she never wanted this moment to happen she had to do it even though the goodbyes were the hardest part. "T.K.? You'll make it back here, right?"

"_I'll do my best. And Kari… I'm sorry"_

"About what?"

"_For not keeping my promise…"_

"Oh, come on T.K.! There's no way you could've known this would happen. I know promises are a big thing for you but sometimes you don't have a choice but to break them" Kari felt tears forming once again in her eyes but she blinked them away, she had to keep it together if she wanted to talk to him.

"_Promises aren't meant to be broken… If you promise someone something you ought to do it no matter what…" _She could hear his movement through the phone and she could almost see how he sat there in his seat and turned around as if to check that he hadn't missed something in the planning. _"Really I gotta go now. I love you Kari, more then you could ever know and never forget that. I love you so much… Both of you"_

She gently touched her tummy with one of her hands and T.K.'s words and her action caused Mimi and the males to look at each other clearly confused of it all. Sora and Yolei just looked at each other sharing sad smiles. Tai looked at her asking for confirmation and she nodded. "I love you too, T.K."

"_Come on guys, it's time… Let's roll!" _A masculine voice said in the background.

"_Are you gonna go now? But… I don't wanna be alone…"_

"_I'll be right back, Nic. Okay? Don't be scared" _T.K. tried to reassure her.

"_But… But if something happens and you won't get back. What if you'll leave me like mommy did?"_

"_It's okay Nikki. How about… How about if you'd talk to my friends while I'm gone, would that be okay for you?" _As T.K. next spoke to them she must've nodded or doing something else making her opinion clear to him without talking. _"Hey guys? Is it okay if Nikki could talk to you meanwhile?"_

"No problem" Sora said as the other ones remained quite.

"_Okay, thanks guys. I'll… I'll see you all later" _T.K. said clearly avoiding the word 'goodbye'. _"I'll be right back, Nic"_

They heard how a got up from his seat and then there was quiet until Nikki shyly said. _"Hello?"_

"Hello Nikki" Ken said and there were a numerous of "Hello's" coming from all over the room.

"_Are you T.K.'s friends?"_

"Yes we are" Ken said and then tried to make Nikki think about something else but what was happening to her even just for a short while. "How old are you, Nikki?"

"_I'm turned four a few weeks ago" _Nikki said somewhat proudly but still with a hint of shyness and fear. _"I'm… I'm scared"_

"No need, T.K.'ll take care of it all." Joe tried to reassure her, himself and the rest of the digidestined. "Can you tell us what he's doing now?"

"_I don't know. He and a bunch of other guys are filling the thing with all the food in it with heavy stuff, don't know why though…"_

"They're gonna force their way into the cockpit by using the food cart to make the collision with door stronger." Izzy explained. "By loading it with heavy items they'll get more power when they rush towards the door." He looked around the room as if to make sure everyone had understood. "Nikki? Have they done anything else yet?"

"_No, they're just talking." _The girl said quietly. _"I think they know… I think the mean guys know what they're gonna do…" _She suddenly cried out in both surprise and fear.

"What's happening?" Davis asked. "What the hell are they doing _now_?"

"What's going on, Nikki?" Mimi asked the young girl hoping that she was still there and able to hear her.

"_We're moving. The plane is jumping up, down, left_, _right… Well, everywhere!"_

"They want them to lose their balance, not good." Matt said frustrated. "Why can't they just surrender or something, the passengers are many more then them."

"Hey guys, have you thought about what the hijackers might do if they enter the cockpit?" Kari asked silently afraid of what might happen. "What if they'll rather crash the plane then surrender?"

"_They're in!" _Nikki exclaimed still in fear, but with a hint of hope in her voice. _"Hang on… No, NO… We're going down! T.K.!"_

"_We're gonna crash!" _A feminine voice screamed.

"_Nikki!" _They heard T.K. call. Before his voice were by the phone again._ "I guess this is goodbye then…"_

"So, I take it as if you didn't succeed then" Tai said sadly.

"_We did succeed, at least partly." _T.K. said before there was a muffled sound and a thud as if he'd dropped the phone, intentionally or not they didn't know. After that all they could hear were chaos. It was impossible for them to separate all the different voices. There were more sounds then they could've imagined. There were people screaming and crying, loose stuff crashing into different things or maybe even persons, the engine roaring and then… Silence.

"No…" Kari whispered and reached out for the phone as if it was her last link to T.K. Then she started screaming on the top of her lungs. "NO, NO! T.K.! T.K.!"

Then the phone went dead.

_**

* * *

**_

A/N:

_Just to clarify on thing. When there was silence the phone was still working but there was silent around and when it went dead… Well it died, not working, you know. ^^_


	4. Chapter Three

_Här kommer nästa del av "En Resa Till Himlen Och Tillbaka". __I wonder how many who understood that part? _

_Thanks for the reviews! And to jonholliday15: Yes, T.K did in fact have his digivice with him but this happened in 2001 and I hardly think there was an internet connctionon the airplanes then, I'm not sure but for this story's sake we'll pretend it don't. :)_

_Disclaimer: Don't own anything._

* * *

**Chapter Three – No Hope, No Future**

_I'd do everything so differently  
But I can't turn back the time  
There's no shelter from the storm inside of me  
Oooh!_

_There's no way out of this dark place  
No hope, no future  
I know I can't be free  
But I can't see another way  
Oh and I can't face another day_

_No Way Out - Phil Collins_

_11__th__ of September – 23.05_

Tai caught Kari as she collapsed sobbing and screaming in denial at the same time. He just held her knowing it was nothing he could say to make her feel better, just wait and be there for her. Tears were running down Matt's cheeks as he just stared blindly at the dead phone. Sora gently took his face in her hands waiting for him to look at her. When he did she dried his cheeks with her hand before gently taking him in his arms comforting him silently as her own tears streamed down her cheeks.

"This can't be happening. It just can't. Not now…" Kari cried silently as Tai held her close.

The digidestined were all in some kind of shock and silence endured through the room as many of them had tears in their eyes and cried. Both Katy and Sam began to cry as they saw how sad their parents were and that just made it all worse as they remembered what they all had found out just minutes before. That T.K. didn't just leave a wife, a brother and many friends behind, he also left his unborn child.

"He can't be gone, he simply can't…" Kari whispered and looked at her brother as her tears continued to stream uncontrollably "Please tell me there's a chance that he could've survived. Please"

"I don't know Kari, I don't think so." He held her closer to his chest and whispered "I'm sorry"

They all turned to look at the long forgotten television which now showed a giant cloud of smoke form very far away as the reporter continue to talk about the attacks.

'_Just a few minutes ago the fourth hijacked plane crashed on a field outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It looks like the hijackers somehow lost control over the plane but we're still unsure how. We believe that the plane failed to reach the planned target, which's still unknown, because no one other then those on the plane where killed or even hurt. There's no report of any survivor at this moment'_

"Oh god" Yolei whispered with a look of shock in her face as Ken held her close as she started to cry. "That's what he meant when he said that they succeeded partly, no more then themselves had to… D-die"

_

* * *

_

_I'm down on my knees again tonight_  
_I'm hoping this prayer will turn out right_  
_See there is a boy that needs Your help_  
_I've done all that I can do myself_

_He's My Son – Mark Schultz_

_Two hours later_

It was just Kari, Tai, Matt and Sora that still were at Kari and T.K.'s place, the others had left some time ago thinking that they needed to be by themselves for a while to grieve in privacy.

Kari was asleep on the couch with her head in Tai's lap and he was staring out in nothing just thinking. Sora and Matt were sitting in the loveseat and tears still shone in both of their eyes. Then Matt dried his tears and took the phone, which no one had even dared to touch since the connection was lost earlier, in his hands and dialled a number and then he waited for someone on the other side to pick up.

"_Nancy Takaishi speaking"_

"Hey, Mom" He said shakily, not liking the fact that he was the one to tell her that her son was… Gone. He didn't like it either that he was going to have to tell her over the phone but it was the only way because she was out of town for the moment and by the time she would be back she would probably already know.

"_Hi, sweetie. Why are you calling so late?" _She asked sleepily not catching the sadness in his voice right away.

"Yeah, I know it's late but I gotta tell you some bad news…"

"_Is something wrong? Oh right__, bad news of course something wrong." _She said suddenly wide awake and worried. Matt rose and left the room going to the kitchen, not wanting to wake Kari.

"Are you sitting down?"

"_Yes I'm sitting. Oh god is it that bad news…?"_

"Yeah, that bad. Actually worse then that"

"_Are you okay? Has something happened to Sora or T.K.?"_

"Ehm, have you seen the news recently?"

"_Yeah last night but it wasn't __anything out of the ordinary there"_

"Well, the thing is… a few hours ago some terrorist hijacked four planes in America. The two first ones of the planes flew straight into the Twin Towers, the third into Pentagon" He took a pause to collect himself for what he was about to say "And you remember T.K.'s in America, right?"

"_Yes of course, but he went home yesterday… Oh god he was on one of those planes__, wasn't he?" _She asked horrified of what he was going to tell her about her youngest son. _"Is he alright? Please, Matt, tell me he's alright. Tell me my baby's alright"_

"I'm sorry Mom, he isn't alright" He closed his eyes as he tried to prevent the tears to run down his cheeks. "They crashed his plane, the forth, on some field in Pennsylvania, no survivors…"

"_No… NO! That can't have been T.K.'s plane. How can you be so sure? He could've been on another plane, Matt. You don't know that"_

"Mom… Mom! Calm down, yes I'm sure he called us from the plane!" Matt said sadly.

"_Oh my god, oh my god… No, no not T.K.!"_

"Mom?"

"_He can't be dead, no! Not T.K."_

"Mom?!"Tears were streaming down from Matt's eyes by now and he had a hard time keeping his voice steady. He could feel that he was close to breaking down. In that moment Sora walked into the kitchen as if she knew that he needed her. She carefully took the phone from him and held him close as she tried to talk to his mother at the same time.

"Nancy? You think that you can get back here to Odaiba?"

"_Y-yes, I'll go first thing in the morning. Sora? Please tell me it isn't true…"_

"I'm sorry Nancy but I'm afraid it is, I heard him myself"

"_Oh god… Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." _She said and Sora could her that she would start to sob in just a matter of seconds. And knowing Nancy, she would like to be by herself then.

"Goodbye" She put the phone aside and held Matt as he, for the first time since they found out about T.K. whereabouts, broke down and sobbed silently. All she could do was to hold him and wait for his tears to stop. When he finally had some sort of control over himself they both rose and slowly went to the living room for a better place to sit down. When they got in they saw that both Tai and Kari had left the room and that the bedroom door was closed, so Tai probably had heard them and carried Kari out of the room so that they could be alone.

"Why Sora? Why my little brother?" Matt asked as they sat down on the couch. He knew that there was no answers for his questions but that didn't mean that there was no reason for him to ask them. "He had done no wrong in this world, in none of the worlds even. Why him?"

"I don't know Matt, I really don't" Sora looked at him sadly "Fate is cruel sometimes"

"This is more then cruelty, he was going to be a father for god's sake! He had a whole life in front of him."

"I know, at least he died as a hero. You know, saving lots of lives…"

"I know that's great and all but right now I don't care about that, I just want my brother back." He looked sadly at her and she gently kissed him on his cheek.

"I know that, Matt. But that's just not how it works."

_

* * *

_

At the same time

"I can't believe it… I just can't believe it…" Davis rambled on and on as he walked back and forth across Ken and Yolei's living room where the younger digidestined had all gathered after leaving Kari and the others giving them some privacy.

"I don't think anyone of us can, Davis" Cody replied. "It's unreal"

"Yeah, that's what I mean. I just can't believe it that one of us is… Well you know…" Davis said as he sat down on the couch next to Cody. "It just don't feel right, this whole thing. Maybe we're dreaming or something. Maybe it's like one of those visions that MaloMyotismon gave us, but the opposite"

"Davis, you know it's not the situation. Be serious" Yolei said as she walked into the room.

"I am!" He replied defensively. "I'm just trying to find a way to the solution that T.K.'s not… dead. I'm having hope!"

The others were a bit shocked by Davis selection of words, no one had yet said the word 'dead' and implying that none of them had hope were just wrong…

"Davish is right guys, T.K. might not be dead!" Demiveemon said happily from the corner where all their digimons were laying. "Do you have any proof?"

They all stayed quite, they didn't have any evidence that T.K. actually was dead. But they chance of him surviving were extremely small, if it even excited.

"I am so not commenting that Demiveemon and Davis we're just trying to be prepared for the worst. We have hope just not too much, if so it will just feel worse at the confirmation." Yolei pointed out sadly trying not to think too much of her, probably, dead friend.

"You knew didn't you?" Ken asked Yolei not liking how their current subject turned out.

"Knew what?"

"About Kari." He looked at her as she sat down next to him and he put an arm around her.

"Oh, yes I did" She replied sadly. "She told me about her pregnancy about a month ago and Sora figured it out a few weeks after that. Kari didn't want anyone else then me and Sora to know about it until she'd told T.K. and that's what she planned to do today. She wanted to tell him in person and surprising him when he got home."

"But he never got home…" Cody said quietly "That's what she told him when she walked out from the room" It wasn't a question but Yolei nodded anyway.

Davis stopped his pacing and turned on the TV. "If there's any news" He explained to the others. He changed the channel and then his jaw dropped.

"Oh my god, oh my god" Yolei finally got out after collecting herself somewhat. On the TV there was a picture from Shanksville where T.K.'s plane crashed.

"No one could've survived that… You can barely see that it's a plane." Cody said with no hope in his voice.

'_I am now standing on a field outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania and it was here United Airlines Flight 93 crashed just 2 hours ago. For an unknown reason the hijacker failed to reach their intended destination somewhere northeast from __here. There's still no report of any survivors but as you can see behind me, there's not much left of the plane so the chance of survivors are extremely small.__ No one but those on the plane and the plane itself where affected by the crash. That's all for the moment, back to New York.'_

The scene changed but none of the four adults comprehended anything that was said after that.

_

* * *

12th of September – 04.16_

Tai watched as Kari slowly began to twitch in her sleep starting to wake up. She yawned and smiled before a look of horror came to her face and tears started to roll down her cheeks as she remembered what just happened.

"Tell me it was a dream, just a horrible dream and everything's back to normal now. Please Tai tell me T.K.'s home and safe." She said as she opened her ruby eyes and looked at Tai pleadingly. All she needed to see was the look on Tai's face to understand that it hadn't been a dream, that this was reality. T.K. wasn't home and safe and he would never be…

"How could they do that Tai? How could they… How could they take him away from me?" She looked at her brother expecting some kind of explanation. He'd always had the answers to her questions but he didn't know what to say, he didn't have an answer for this one.

"I don't know Kari, I really don't" He looked at her expecting her to start sobbing again but all he could see in her eyes were determination. "Kari?"

"Are they dead?" She looked at him with hate in her eyes, it looked strange on her. It wasn't a look that fitted his innocent little sister. "The ones who did it. Are they dead?"

"Probably" Tai replied a little frightened seeing her like this. "At least those on the plane"

She relaxed somewhat and started to get up. "I'm not gonna cry, I'm _not_ gonna cry" She murmured to herself.

"Kari, it's okay to cry." Tai said knowing that Kari wasn't really comfortable showing herself weak in front of others, even if it just was him.

She looked at him with her eyes filled with tears as she let her guard down. But at the same time a look of nausea come to her face and she sprinted out of the room.

"Kari?" He called after her leaving the room as well. When he came out to the living room he saw Matt and Sora cuddled up on the couch. It was obvious that Matt had cried and Tai didn't blame him. If it had been Kari he would've done the same thing. Sora looked up at him as he entered the room while Matt continued to gaze out through the window his thoughts somewhere else. "Did you guys see where Kari went?"

"Bathroom" Sora answered before explaining to him "Morning sickness"

"Oh, right. Forgot about that…" Tai said quietly as he walked towards the bathroom and knocked lightly on the door. "Kari? Kari, come on open up." The only answer he got was the sound of sobbing and later throwing up. He walked back to the others and sat down in an armchair.

"She'll come out soon" Sora said reassuringly. "Did she sleep anything?"

"Yeah, a couple of hours. I didn't think she would but she was really exhausted and she still is. Both mentally and physically" He looked at them both and saw just how worn outMatt looked. "Hey Matt?" He looked away from the window and looked at his best friend waiting for him to continue. "Have you told your folks yet? About you know…"

"I called mom a while ago, she's coming back to Odaiba as quickly as she can. I guess Dad already knows about the attacks but I don't know if he knows about…" Matt explained without much emotion in his voice. It was clear to Tai that he was shielding himself from the grief that way. "Teeks…" As he said the name of his lost little brother his shield broke down and tears began to form in his eyes.

"Where are Agumon and the rest of the digimon?" Tai asked noticing Matt's discomfort with the subject.

"Agumon, Gabumon, Gatomon, Patamon and Biyomon are in the kitchen. I don't know what they're doing though." Sora replied nodding towards the kitchen door. "Patamon's a mess, not that I can't understand it, so I guess they're comforting him or trying to make him think of something else then T.K."

"Okay" Tai said understandingly knowing that it couldn't be easy for Patamon to lose his partner, especially in a way that the digimon couldn't really understand.

"Yeah" Sora replied quietly as she gently stroked Matt's cheek trying to comfort him in vain. She hugged him lovingly. "Matt, you don't always has to be the strong one"

As Matt looked at her his tears whelmed over and started to silently roll down his cheeks Tai felt that this was his cue to leave and went to check on Kari. He raised his hand to knock on the door once again but stopped in the middle of the air as the sound of Kari's sobs reached his ears. "Kari? Come on, sis. Open the door I can't help you otherwise." The sound of her unlocking the door could be heard and a small crack appeared. He opened the door so that he could walk through and stopped as he saw the sight before him. Kari leaned against the wall on shaky legs and her face was deathly pale.

"Kari!" Tai half screamed as he rushed forward and caught her just as her legs gave away. "Kari? Are you okay?" It was a stupid question really for obviously she wasn't.

"I'm…" She stopped and closed her as she tried to stop everything from spinning. "I'm fine, Tai."

"Really? How come then you're all white" Tai exclaimed as he helped her to stand up, but once again her legs gave away. Somehow she managed to sprawl out of his grasp and sat down leaning against the wall. "And you can't even stand upright, and by the look on you face there's probably four of me in the room right now"

"Stop it Tai, I said I'm fine. And for your information there's only one Tai in the room" Judging by his face he didn't believe a thing that she'd just said.

"Are you sure? Then how many fingers am I holding up?" He raised one of his hands and held up two fingers. When she hesitated he prompted "How many?"

"Tai…" She said quietly trying to distract him just a tiny bit but the look on his face tod her to answer. "Eh… Four?"

"Wrong, there's the proof! You're not fine." He easily picked her up and ignored her protests as he did so. "You need to lie down." He carried her out of the bathroom and back to the living room where Matt and Sora still were.

"What's going on?" Sora asked as soon as they entered the room. Both she and Matt rose from their place on the couch so that Tai could put Kari down there.

"You okay, Kari?" Matt asked, awake from his prior haze, concerned for his sister-in-law. Both of them relaxed a bit as Kari nodded slightly before closing her eyes and much to their surprise fell asleep right away. Tai sat down on the floor next to Kari and took her hand in his trying to protect his sister in the best way he could right now, by just being there.

"Tai? What happened?" Sora asked as Matt sat down on an armchair and gently pulled her into his lap.

"I don't know really. When I came in she was all pale and collapsed almost immediately. Is that normal for pregnancies?" He asked the only awake woman in the room hoping for an answer.

"Well, I have no personal experience in this area but I don't think so. But because of everything that has happened today, I don't think that you have to worry. She's probably just stressed and a little shaken up by the whole thing, and who wouldn't be in her situation." She replied and looked at Kari lovingly. "She's gone through a lot today, we all have"

"Yeah" Tai said and held Kari's hand a little closer as she whimpered and twitched in her sleep. "Sora? Did you know about Kari's pregnancy?"

She looked at him and saw the need for him to know, she then looked at Matt who had a similar expression. "Yes, I figured it all out at the hospital the day Katy was born. When you and Kari argued about why you were late I put things together, she realized I knew as we went to the girl's bathroom."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Matt asked a bit hurt that his fiancée hadn't shared such important information with him.

"I promised Kari I wouldn't She didn't want too many to know before she told T.K. about it, in case he heard about it from someone else before." She looked at Matt and gave him a small reassuring smile to lighten up the mood just a tiny bit. "You know I would've told you otherwise"

He nodded and stayed silent for a while looking deep in thought before finally telling the others what was on his mind. "He almost figured it all, not quiet but he knew something was up. He told me that the day at the hospital. He told me that he was worried about her being sick all the time and asked me to keep an eye on her and to tell him if I thought something was seriously wrong."

"Smart kid" Tai said smiling just a bit. "Well… He wasn't a kid anymore but you know what I mean"

"No he wasn't" Matt said thinking back, remembering his little brother. "He was all grown up but just in the beginning of his life. Wife, baby… Everything had just started for him it's just not fair for it to turn out this way."

"It never is, Matt. It never is." Tai said and reached out for the remote and switched on the television to see if there was any news. A video from when the second plane hit one of the twin towers was shown before it showed a man talking about something that none of them cared to listen to at the moment. It didn't seem ultra important. So then they just sat there in silence watching as the images changed and waiting for dawn to come.

* * *

_12th of September __–_ 05.46

Hiroaki Ishida walked through the door into T.K. and Kari's apartment after finding it unlocked. He stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him. Matt and Sora were curled up together on an armchair and it was clear to him that both had cried, and his son almost _never_ cried. The last time he could remember was when he and Nancy told him and T.K. about the divorce and that they were going to separate the brothers. Next to them on the couch lay Kari, she was asleep but even then she looked extremely sad and he could see tears glimmer on her cheeks. Last was Tai who sat on the floor by Kari holding her hand firmly in on of his hands and the phone in the other while he looked at the TV but it was obvious that he didn't really pay much attention to it.

"Matt what's going on here?" He asked carefully eyeing his eldest son as he gained some control over himself and stepped forward.

"Dad?" Matt asked silently as he opened his eyes slowly and looked at his father before he got up from his seat and approached him quickly. "It can't be true can it?"

"What can't, son?" Hiroaki said as Matt hugged him tightly. He was stunned for a moment at his sudden action but quickly put his arms around his now shaking son. "Matt? What the hell is going on here? Why is everyone crying? Does it have anything to do with your brother?" He asked concerned for both his eldest and his youngest as he could feel Matt nod against his shoulder. "Matt, tell me… What's up with T.K.? Is he okay?"

"N-no… No he's not…" Matt finally stammered out. "He is… he's…" But he couldn't continue and broke down in a heap of tears. He was never one to show much emotion and often kept it all inside but this was a different thing. His brother was dead for god's sake and nothing else mattered at the moment.

"T.K.'s what, Matt?" Hiroaki held his son close and did the best he could to comfort him as he at the same time tried to figure out what was going on. He looked at the others for help as for what was going on but they just stared at the scene before them.

"'s dead…" Matt croaked and held even tighter to his father as he felt Hiroaki freeze up.

It took Hiroaki several moments before he manage to compose himself enough to say. "What? How could he be…? I don't…" Even though his slight denial he knew that his son was telling him the truth. Matt would never joke about something like that and judging by the state everyone was in when he came in and the state they all were in now, this was reality. His youngest son was in fact gone from this world.

Hiroaki could feel the tears forming in his eyes but quickly wiped them away. He needed to be strong for the only son he now had left. He held Matt closer and let him let it all out, the shock of losing his baby brother. When Matt had calmed down just a bit Hiroaki asked what he had to ask, he had to know what had happened to T.K.

"He was on one of the planes that got hijacked in New York a couple of hours ago" Sora said knowing that Matt couldn't find the words to explain it.

"W-what? He was on one of the planes that hit the twin towers?" Hiroaki looked even more in shock now as he found this new information. This so called incident was exactly what he had been working one when Tai had called him and told him to come here.

"No. He was on the one with all the heroes" Tai said silently from his place on the floor. "The plane that didn't reach the terrorists target and crashed on a field in Pennsylvania."

Hiroaki looked at the young man that they all, even the parents, had looked at as their leader since the first digimon attack over 10 years ago. "How can you be so sure about this?"

It wasn't Tai or Sora who replied to this but Matt who now had some control over himself. "Because… Because he called us, right before the crash. So we heard it all."

"So you heard wh… Oh, I see" Hiroaki said as he realised what his son meant by that, they had heard all of T.K.'s last minutes alive and how they later crashed "Have you talked to Nancy yet?" He asked knowing that his ex-wife really had to know about this… He might not get along very well with her but T.K. was her son too after all and it was a parents right to know something like this about their child.

"Yeah, I called her a while ago. She was on of her many business trips but she's on her way home now."

"Good" Hiroaki said indicating to the last part. Then nodding towards Kari he asked "How's she doing?"

"I don't think she got a hold on what's happened yet." Tai said quietly as he stroked her hand gently. Both Matt and Hiroaki stood up and watched how Kari stirred a bit in her sleep and mumbled something unknown before she once again fell back into a deep slumber. "She heard everything and so… But I don't think it have all sunk in to her. That he really is gone." They all sat quiet for a while before Matt broke the silence.

"Why was he even on that plane? He wasn't supposed to be on that one…" He sighed and went to the window and just stood there looking at the stars before continuing "Maybe we could've… Maybe _I _could've done something to stop him from stepping on that plane…"

"Matt, we all know that absolutely nothing could've stopped him. All T.K. wanted was to come home." Sora said as she tried to hold back the tears that threatened to whelm over in her eyes. She tried to hide them from Matt and the others but failed miserably and Matt quickly strode across the room and took her in his arms.

"Matt, I'm sorry. Oh I'm so sorry."

"Shh, shh. It's gonna be alright" He whispered soothingly even though he didn't really believe his own words. He kissed the top of her head as she shook her head against his chest.

"Those bastards got what they deserved, but right now I would like to bring them back just so that I could kill them myself." Tai said roughly before he paused for a while and calmed himself down. His eyes turned to the pair and looked at them both sympathetically and continued softly "There's nothing that none of us could've done, it was inevitable."

The two of them nodded as the phone began to ring once again.

"I don't get it. What's the thing with that phone today? It keeps ringing all the time." Matt said and sighed.

"Maybe because that's the function of that machine, to ring and be able to talk to someone far away… Very far away even…" Tai replied indicating to their latest over sea conversation.

"Yeah I know but I don't think I'll ever be able to really enjoy a telephone conversation anymore…"

"I get it, I'll answer. Moshi moshi, Takaishi residence" Tai said calmly the last part into the phone with a slight wince at the name.

"_Tai? __Yolei called your father and me and she sounded pretty shocked and I was only able to comprehend parts of what she was saying…" _He could hear his mother ramble on the other side of the phone. _"And it sounded like she was talking about some airplanes and that T.K.'s dead? Did I hear the wrong thing or is it true?"_

He stayed silent.

"_Oh my god" _She said shockingly taking his silence as a yes. _"How's Kari doing?"_

"She's asleep right now, but she's a mess. There was more to it then we knew about…"

"_What do you mean by that, Taichi?" _His mother asked not really understanding what her son had just told her.

"You think that we can take it in the morning? Ms Takaishi's coming back here then so Kari can tell you all at once, I don't think she can handle to do it more then that."

"_Okay. Call me if you need anything. And Tai…Take care of your sister. She needs you now more then ever."_

"Yeah, I know. Bye mom"

"I guess bad news travel fast then, huh?" Matt said quietly looking at Tai.

"Yeah, mom and dad will be here in the morning. So that Kari can tell them and your folks at the same time." Tai said and looked up at his sister with deep concern in his eyes. He had for a short time forgotten that there actually was one parent in the room that didn't have a clue to what they we're talking about.

"What's Kari gonna tell us?" Hiroaki asked eyeing Tai, his eldest son and his daughter-in-law knowing that there was something they didn't tell him.

"Dad… It really isn't our place to tell you that, it's Kari's." Matt explained to his father trying to get him to understand. But when he saw some doubt in his eyes he continued. "Believe me, it's all up to her"

"Okay"

They all sat there in silence for quiet some time before Tai announced that he was hungry, purely out of habit, and went to the kitchen to prepare something. When he came back to the living room with a large plate full of sandwiches in his hands all their digimon were with him. The digimon went to their respective partner, except Patamon who followed Gatomon to the back of the couch both starring down worriedly at Kari. Tai sat the plate down at the small table in front of the couch, but in the end none of them took a bite. Their appetite was gone and they sat there silent with only a few words exchanged from time to time as they waited for morning to come.


	5. Chapter Four

_**A/N**__: Thanks for all the reviews! A question… Would you rather have short chapters, about half of the length I'm writing now, and quicker updates or the same length as now and a longer wait? I'd really appreciate an answer._

_Disclaimer: Not mine…_

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* * *

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**Chapter Four – The Light**

_You are the light  
That's leading me  
To the place where I find peace again._

_You are the strength that keeps me walking._  
_You are the hope that keeps me trusting._  
_You are the light to my soul._  
_You are my purpose...you're everything._

_Everything – Lifehouse_

_11th of September – __America_

It hurt. The aching pain was all he could think about. It hurt _everywhere_. His eyes were closed and all he wanted was to sleep but there was a light keeping him awake. The light was impossible to ignore, no matter how hard he closed his eyes it was always there. He could hear sparks somewhere close and he felt all hot and sweaty like that one time after the basketball finals when the team had a barbeque and he stood to close to the fire. The smell finally reached his nose. Smoke. It was then it occurred to him that he probably should get away from there. He tried to open his eyes but they didn't cooperate with him and stayed close focusing on the light slipping through.

He had to concentrate on something besides the light when his eyes began to sting, like when you looked straight into the sun in the middle of a hot summer day. He took a somewhat deep breath and was suddenly aware of his hurting lungs. Every breath hurt like his lungs were on fire, and maybe they were. No, then he wouldn't even be here. Why was he there then?

His thoughts went back to what had happened. The plane and the hijackers, Nikki, Kari and the baby… He should be dead. The plane crashed, how could he be alive? Being the optimistic he had always been he gladly accepted this second chance to live and gathered some strength to open his eyes.

What he saw was horrifying. The light he had seen came from the fire that surrounded him and most of his sight. It was spreading fast but he really didn't have the energy to worry too much about it. He was still in the plane though there wasn't much left of either the plane or its passengers. The entire right side had been completely ripped of and spread out in the area around them. He tried not to think about the others fate but it was hard. He didn't want to be selfish but he had to focus on himself right now and how to make it back to Kari alive, he had promised her and he wasn't one to break a promise easily. He wanted to get back to her, his brother and the others. He wanted to hold her in his arms and later hold their child. He felt a movement on his opposite side and slowly, extremely slowly turned his aching head to look on whatever caused the movement. There next to him lay an unconscious Nikki with bruises all over her small fragile body. He let out a sigh in relief as he saw her chest rise. He just stared at her little chest moving up and down for a few moments relieved that she was alive.

He raised one of his hands and examined it closely noticing just how bruised and burned it was. If his hand looked like this how did the rest of his body look? He slowly moved his hand and touched Nikki's shoulder lightly. Not getting a reaction from her he did the same action again and this time she stretched but immediately winced. He raised his hand and carefully caressed her hair trying to get her attention towards the real world. She opened one of her eyes and stared at him a moment before she came to a conclusion of what had happened. "T.K.?"

"Hey, Nic. How are you feeling?" He asked his voice sore and hoarse out of exhaustion and the smoke began to affect his lungs and throat even more now.

"It hurts T.K." She replied tears in her eyes. "It hurts really much."

"Where Nikki? Does it hurt extra much somewhere?" He was worried. What if something was seriously wrong with her. Sure he knew that there was no way that she could be entirely fine but he hoped that it wasn't something life threatening.

She shook her head no and said "It hurts everywhere" She closed her eyes and sniffed.

"No Nikki! Don't close your eyes. You hear me? Whatever you do don't close your eyes"

She opened them again and looked at him closely. "T.K. you look awful"

"Thanks, Nic" He said and even though their situation he smiled slightly at her honesty.

"T.K.? There's fire in here." He looked around and saw that the fire had spread even more. He then began to think more about it. How come the plane was still, at least partly, intact? There was a lot of fuel in the plane shouldn't it explode once the fire reached the tank? They might have survived the crash out of pure luck but if the plane exploded they surely wouldn't have the same luck and survive that too. They had to get out of there, and quickly too.

"Nikki we gotta get out!" He removed the seatbelt that he somehow in the chaos before had put on and lifted Nikki as he stood up in panic. He didn't understand where he got the energy from but in the moment he figured it was just an adrenaline rush. He ran down the aisle and followed the instructions on the door and managed to open it in a matter of seconds. He ran as fast as he could from the plane with Nikki still in his arms.

"T.K.? Why are you running?" Nikki asked in panic clinging to him for dear life. He didn't answer but kept on running. He could feel her body shaking and tried to reassure her by holding her a bit closer and noticed how she relaxed a tiny bit. He felt how his adrenaline rush began to wear of but he tried to ignore it and pushed himself even faster, that was until he heard it. The explosion. He felt how his feet left the ground and he flew forward in a speed he never thought was possible. Then it all turned black.

* * *

_12__th__ of September – 09.16_

"How long before your mother gets here, Matt?" Yuuko Kamiya asked as she gently caressed her daughter's hair as she slept somewhat peacefully. Tai and Kari's parents had come almost an hour ago and they were all sitting in the living room awaiting for Nancy's arrival. Both Yuuko and Susumu had been shocked by the atmosphere in the room when they first had gotten there. It was not that they thought that they would be less sad over T.K.'s death they just weren't mentally prepared for the state of their children and their friends.

"Soon." Matt replied shortly not really in the mood for talking but when he felt Sora stare at him and he continued. "She'll probably be here in a matter of minutes."

Right after he ended his sentence the doorbell rang and before any of them had a chance to get it the door opened and revealed a devastated Nancy Takaishi. She slowly approached the small group and opened her mouth as if there was something she wanted to say however she was completely lost of worlds and almost immediately shut it again. Matt rose and walked over to her and gently wrapped his arms around her. He felt that this was his turn to be the comforter instead the one needing comfort.

"You sure?" Nancy whispered into her son's ear.

"Yes" He answered shakily and held Nancy close as tears started to run down her cheeks.

At that moment Kari began to twitch and eventually wake up. Even though she had slept several hours she looked just as exhausted as those who hadn't if not even more. This time she didn't wake up in an unreal world. As she looked around the room with sad eyes she got many sympathetic looks and her mother walked over to her and knelt next to her head. "Kari, honey? Are you feeling alright? I mean physically."

"N-no nothing's alright and it'll never be…" Even thought she whispered everyone in the room could hear her due to the only sound except her was Nancy silent sobs from across the room. "He's not coming home… Ever…"

Matt carefully led Nancy towards the others and gave Tai a meaningful glance nodding his head towards Kari. "Right" Tai whispered to himself before he looked at Kari. "Wanna tell them now? It'll be easier for you to handle it then, I think."

Kari sat up and Tai hurried over to her and sat down next to her. He wrapped an arm around her as she pulled her legs up and rested her chin against them. "I-I'm…" Was all she managed to say before her tears stopped her. "I-I'm pregnant"

The four parents stared shocked at her for a moment before her father, Susumu, collected himself enough to ask her daughter. "It's T.K.'s right?"

"Y-yes"

"Oh god…"

"You could say that." Tai whispered and held Kari even closer as she started to sob.

"T.K. was going to be a father?" Nancy said her voice cracking slightly. "And I didn't think that the situation could get any worse."

"But it's kinda good too" Sora said and they all stared at her clearly not understanding her point. "You know… It's a shame T.K. couldn't live to see his child but if you think about it it's a blessing, a miracle. We get the chance to see him everyday. It might be hard seeing someone that remind us so much about T.K. but it's good too, he'll continue to live that way. To still have a bit of his hope in our everyday life"

The group all looked deep in thought at her words and Sora looked slightly nervous. What if she'd crossed the line? Maybe they didn't see her point. Maybe they didn't understand the way see thought about it all. Matt put a hand on her shoulder and gave her the best smile he could manage, which wasn't much, and said. "I get it… A miracle."

"A miracle" Hiroaki said as he looked at everyone in the room. "My son may not be alive but I, and hopefully everyone else in this room, will do my best to make his child's life the best"

"Of course, what else could we do" Yuuko said. She then put an arm around her daughter and kissed the top of her head. "We'll all be there for you Kari. And the rest of your friends too, that I can promise you"

"All promises can't be kept" Kari said and broke free from both her mother and Tai who both held her and took the photograph from the side table where Tai had put it earlier and looked at it closely. The image of her and T.K.'s wedding was the most recent one and also the largest. They both looked so happy and carefree not knowing what the world had in store for them. They were standing in the digiworld, the place where they had gotten to know each other and later confessed their true feelings. Kari looked beautiful in her white dress and T.K. as handsome as one could be in a traditional black tuxedo. They just stood there just smiling at each other oblivious to the rest of the world, or worlds even. "That I've learned today. No matter how hard you want to keep them sometimes you don't have a choice."

"What did T.K. promise you, Kari?" Her father said quietly. Susumu stayed away from his daughter, she already had enough arms around her. "What promise couldn't he keep?"

"He promised he'd come back. He _promised_ that he would come back to me. And he won't… He won't _ever_ come back to me… Ever…" Her tears had stopped falling and she looked at first Sora then at Matt as she remembered a day long ago. She stared into nothing obviously her mind somewhere else entirely.

* * *

"_Run, Kari! Run" He screamed as he chased her down the streets of Odaiba. "I'm gonna catch you!"_

_She pushed herself forward and ran as fast as she could, but it isn't an easy task trying to out run the star basketball player of Odaiba High. She felt arms wrap themselves around her waist and she stopped immediately. The chaser was not ready for this and almost knocked her over as he continued to run straight into her. "Ouch, sorry Kar. Wasn't ready for that one!"_

_She couldn't help but laugh as he began to wobble. At this an evil look appeared in his eyes and he pulled her down with him. "Hey, not fair. I'm getting all dirty"_

"_Since when do _you_ care about that?" He smiled devilish at her. "Oh right since you're a girl"_

"_What do you mean by that, since I'm a girl?" _

"_Guess" He teased and gave her a quick wink._

"_Hey, that's clearly one of your prejudices"_

"_Is it?"_

"_Agh!" He smiled at her small outburst and rose from the street. _

"_You're annoying sometimes, you know that?" Kari said as she took the hand he offered and helped her up._

"_I know, it's a part of my charm"_

"_Shut it T.K." He lifted his hand and motioned with his hand as if he locked his lips and threw the key away. "Very funny" he nodded enthusiastically and reached for her hand._

"_Where are we going?" He pointed at her and then began to walk in the direction of the Kamiya family's apartment. They walked in a comfortable silence for quite sometime until Kari felt the need to ask him something. "T.K.? When do you think that we should tell them?"_

_He looked at her with his big blue eyes begging for something she couldn't understand. "What? Oh you can talk now. Did you honestly wait for my permission?"_

"_Always do as you say Kari!" _

"_Well this was the first that I remember" She exclaimed but couldn't hide the happiness that she always felt around him form her voice. "Seriously T.K. when are we going to tell everyone about… You know, about us"_

"_Oh, that's what you meant. Don't ask me. It was you who wanted to keep it a secret from the beginning." He stopped for a short while and just looked at her lovingly before he put an arm around her shoulders and continued to walk down the street._

"_Just in case it didn't work out. Not that I thought that it wouldn't but just in case."_

"_Do we have to tell them?" He put his other hand in his pocket and continued "I mean aren't they going to notice after awhile"_

"_Yeah but I rather not that my brother finds out from someone else rather then you and me."_

"_Ah, the sweet cause of gossiping. I guess that you have two very _sincere _girls in your mind that simply can't keep their mouth shut, right? No offence to Yolei or Mimi but that's just how they work" he said and smiled a bit thinking of the very gossiping part of their group._

"_Yeah, you get my point now don't you?"_

"_Yes, I do. But… Can't we keep it a secret a little longer?"_

"_You scared?"_

"_Yes! In fact I am. I can imagine the look on you brother's face when I say 'Hey Tai, you know what? Kari really is a great kisser!' he'd kill me!"_

"_You're cute when you're afraid." Kari said as she stopped and looked up at him before standing on her tiptoes on kissed him lightly. "Come on, we'll tell him and Matt together and besides, Tai's known you since we were eight so he trusts you. It'll be fine, you in for it? Tomorrow?"_

"_Only if you do that again."_

"_Do what? Oh, this?" She kissed him again more passionate this time. As their surrounding became foggy and unfocused they both heard someone clear their throat behind them. The pair turned to meet their interrupter. Standing there were Matt and Sora. Matt had his arm wrapped loosely around Sora's shoulder and the couple smiled at them._

"_Oh, sorry we didn't mean to interrupt but we thought you might want to no know we were standing here watching" Matt teased. "Way to go squirt, by the way"_

"_What took you so long? And don't tell me you've kept this a secret from us for too long" Sora said._

"_Ehm… We were just…" T.K. tried not able to come up with a good excuse._

"_Making out? Is that the word you're looking for?" Matt said smirking._

"_Not exactly…" T.K. said. "Well, we were but…"_

"_But what?"_

"_Stop it, Matt. Let them be." Sora said glaring slightly at her boyfriend not wanting him to tease them to much. She however couldn't help but smile at the two lovebirds. "So… You're a couple or what?"_

"_Ehm, maybe" Kari said carefully. She met T.K.'s loving gaze and changed her mind directly. "Yes"_

"_Just imagine Tai's face when he finds out!" Matt then exclaimed looking very pleased with himself._

"_Well now it's one less we have to tell tomorrow." T.K. said seeing the good thing in the situation of being caught making out by a teasing older brother. "Matt, Sora we kinda have to go. See you tomorrow or any other day." He took Kari's hand and led her away from the older couple._

"_Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Matt yelled after them. He then changed his mind. "Forget that. Don't do anything stupid."_

"_Is it just me or are we going to hear a lot of that?"_

"_It's not just you." Kari said and looked up at him. He then bent down and kissed her on the cheek._

"_You look beautiful, _girlfriend_"_

* * *

"Seriously, what's the thing with that today?" Matt exclaimed as the ringing phone interrupted Kari's thoughts.

"I'll take it" Sora said and then said into the phone. "Hello? Takaishi residence"

"_Is this Hikari Takaishi I'm talking to?"_

"No. Hang on I'll get her" Sora glanced at Kari and gave her the best reassuring smile she could manage. She leaned forward and held out the phone for Kari to take. "It's for you"

Kari took the phone. "H-hello?"

"_Mrs Takaishi?"_A polite male voice said.

"Yes, that's me."

"_I take it that you've heard about the events in America. I'm sorry to say this but it appears that you husband, Takeru Takaishi, was on flight 93 when it crashed. We have no reports of any survivors yet so I hate being the one to say this but it then appears like you husband died along with 43 other passengers and crew members as the flight crashed by the work of what seems to be 4 hijackers."_

"I know." Kari's eyes locked with Matt who looked closely at trying to figure out who she was talking to. "He called us. You sure there was no survivors?"

"_Fairly. __We are still searching the area but were rather sure."_

"O-okay."

"_We'll have someone get in touch with you if we find something out of value in the masses."_

"Alright, was that all?"

"_Yes. Goodbye"_

"Bye."

"Who was it?" Matt asked eager to find out more of what happened to his brother. "Any news?"

Kari shook her head sadly clasping her hands together in her lap. "Just a confirmation that T.K. was on the plane and probably shared the same fate with 43 others, including the hijackers. And that they were still searching the area for survivors but it was unlikely that they would find any."

_

* * *

_

Around the same time:

Cody stared at the digivice in his hands. He didn't feel like going to the Digiworld anytime soon. There had been peace in that world for many years and neither Patamon nor Armadillomon had digivolved for quite some time and they hadn't evolved to Shakkoumon for even longer. But even if they hadn't Patamon and Armadillomon shared a connection the humans didn't really understand and this affected T.K. and Cody more then they thought in the beginning. Cody had grown closer to his DNA digivolve partner over the years. He understood the two sides of T.K. now, even if he hadn't shown his dark side for years, and he understood his reasons for his splitting personality too.

Cody looked up from his digivice as he heard Davis call his name. "What did you say?"

"I asked what you were thinking about. You've stared at you digivice the latest ten minutes not doing anything else. What's up?" Davis said obviously concerned for the younger digidestined.

"Just thinking about T.K. I guess." Cody sighed. "It still feels like a dream, a bad one."

"I know the feeling. But if you think about it we don't know for sure yet. They're still looking for survivors, at least that's what the reporter said." Davis smiled as he added "The important thing right now is to not lose hope"

"It's harder then you think, Davis" Ken said as he entered the room.

"How are Yolei and Sam?" Cody asked.

"Sam's sleeping and Yolei's watching him. She said it keeps her mind off things." Ken sat down next to Cody on the couch. "I can't blame her for trying to forget even for just a moment."

"I wish I could do the same" Cody said running his hand through his now a bit longer hair.

"Have you heard anything from the others?" Ken asked and looked between Cody and Davis.

"Izzy called a while ago. He, Joe, Mimi and little Katy are at their place. They're all relatively fine a bit shaken of it all but otherwise alright. He's doing something with his computer trying to get a hold of a recording of the telephone conversation with T.K. apparently the phone company keep the recordings a certain amount of time. He thought both Kari and Matt would like to have it. A last memory of him." Cody fell silent remembering their conversation and how they would remember T.K. from it. "And he said something about the Americans could use it to get information about the attack, T.K. might have said something of use. Or maybe a sound in the background would help."

"I wouldn't want to hear that again. It was bad enough the first time, we basically heard how they died." Ken said quietly.

"You're right about that. I won't listen to it anytime soon." Davis agreed.

"But don't you see how Izzy's thinking? Don't you think Kari would like to hear T.K. telling her he loves her over and over again? And how about when she told him he was going to be a father. Maybe their child would like to hear him or her father's voice and later telling Kari he love her and the baby." Cody said defending the keeper of the crest of knowledge. "He's thinking in a long-term. Now it might be hard to listen to… Well, it's always gonna be hard to hear but it'll get easier and in time I think we'll all appreciate what Izzy did."

"Yeah, you're right. But I hope Kari won't let the kid hear it all." Davis said thoughtfully.

"You know… Things would be much easier if T.K. was here" Ken said and got confused looks from both Cody and Davis. "I know if he was everyone wouldn't be sad and all but what I mean is that no matter the situation T.K. always found something positive to hold on to."

"Then that's what we're gonna do!" Davis exclaimed. "We do what T.K. would've done. We stay positive! No one have said for sure T.K.'s gone"

"But-but how could anyone have survived that?" Cody pointed towards the TV screen indicating to the picture shown earlier.

"There's always hope!"

"Davis is right, Cody. We can hope he's alive and if we're, by some miracle, are right then the wait for news of his whereabouts was much easier." Ken said.

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that…" Cody said silently. "And T.K. would want us to"

_

* * *

_"_Hey sis" T.K. said as he entered his brother and Sora's apartment with a big smile on his face. Sora raised an eyebrow at his words abut she just received another smile as an answer. "Matt told me everything about yesterday. I'm surprised it took such a long time for him to finally pop the question. Come on! Show me the ring, not that I haven't seen it but I wanna see it on its right place."_

_She smiled as she approached him and raised her left hand. "It really is beautiful isn't it?"_

_He took her hand and inspected it. "Perfect fit, just as Matt said. Where is he by the way?"_

"_Sorry but you just missed him. He's out helping Tai to find a good tuxedo for his big meeting with his boss."_

"_Okay. Actually my intention was seeing you and I have a favour to ask you, Sor"_

"_What? You didn't visit just to see your favourite almost sister-in-law? I'm hurt, Teeks."_

"_That's unfair Sora! You know what I mean. I would have met you today anyway you and Matt's coming over for dinner at my and Kari's place tonight if you haven't forgot that already. I just need your help, like I really need your help. I'm stuck. I don't know how to write the next part" He followed her into the kitchen and as she sat down at the kitchen table he went to the refrigerator and took out two bottles of soda and handed one over to her "And Teeks?"_

"_Yeah, Matt calls you that all the time and it's kinda __rubbed__ off__on me. And for your information no I haven't forgotten our dinner plans." She smiled at him and accepted the soda. "So, what do you need help with?"_

"_Well, you see… I can't really get a part from our first adventure down on paper. It's not because I don't remember in fact I wish I didn't and that it never happened but that's not good either because then the Digital World would be kinda lost but I don't know how to…"_

"_Stop it, T.K." Sora interrupted him. "Your rambling and I almost didn't understand a thing you just said. Try to take it slower this time." She gave him a reassuring smile indicating for him to go on._

"_I'v__e gotten to the part when Angemon fights Devimon and sacrifices himself and I don't know how to write it. I would've asked Kari but she wasn't there at the time so she really isn't much for a help and Matt's no good at putting emotions into a text unless its lyrics and then I thought of you and you got all I need to get through this." He smiled shyly at her looking much like the boy he was in their first adventure with those blue eyes begging for help._

"_I'll help but I'm not a very good writer but I'll try my best." His smile immediately grew and he rushed to her and kissed her cheek._

"_Thanks Sor, you're the best!"_

* * *

_12th of September – 11.26_

She sniffled slightly at the memory which caused the others to turn their gazes towards her. No one had found any words to say and they all had just been sitting there for the last hour, remembering their lost husband, son, brother and friend. She broke the silence as she quietly apologized. "Sorry…"

"No need to be, Sor" Matt said even quieter the tears still evident in his eyes. She hated seeing him like this. But she was grateful that he at least showed his emotions, she didn't know what she would've done if he'd just closed up not letting her or anyone else know about the pain he felt. They would know anyway, but this way it was easier for her to comfort him even though he sometimes was the one comforting her. He had lost his little brother but even then he put her before himself and ignored his pain for just a moment to make her feel better, and she loved him for it.

She would miss her brother-in-law, she really would. Maybe not like Matt and Kari but she surely would miss him a lot. Being stuck in the digiworld with him all those years ago really made them close. She remembered when he'd said that he didn't miss his mother as much when he was with her, and it made her feel good that she somehow helped the young boy from getting too homesick. They'd had a special relationship with a mix of humour and seriousness that had helped them both in many different situations both as kids and as adults.

"Do you…" She started but was interrupted by a beeping noise coming from the bedroom. "Isn't that…?"

"Oh my god…" Kari said as she too recognized the noise. She looked expectantly at the three other digidestined's in the room who'd also recognized the sound. "Can it be?"

"Did he bring his?" Matt asked Kari hope shining in both of their eyes. She rushed up without answering and ran into the room. Matt, Sora, Tai and the four parents all followed her into the room, the parents oblivious to where the sound came from. They stood aside as Kari eagerly looked through a drawer searching for something.

"Kari? What are you looking for?" Her father asked curious to what item could get her attention and bring her hope at a time like this.

"My D-Terminal" She stopped her hand in mid-motion and gently took her D-Terminal up from the drawer.

"Come on, open it up" Tai encouraged. She flicked the screen open and just stared at the text.

'_No new messages'_

"It wasn't mine. But you guys don't have yours with you, right?" The three of them shook their heads sadly. "Then it must've been… T.K.'s" She opened another drawer and wrapped her fingers around the item lying at the top. T.K.'s D-Terminal. She gently stroke the surface before she opened it. "No…" Sora looked over her shoulder at the screen and gently wrapped an arm around the younger digidestined.

'_Connection Los__t. Unable to connect to digivice'_

"Sorry, Kari." She said quietly stroking her hair as she started to cry once again. "I'm so sorry"

_

* * *

11th of September – America_

Pain. The pain was intense. But that was a good thing, right? The pain meant he was still alive. He once again wondered shortly how it was even possible but even the idea of trying to either remember or find a logic in the situation made him even more exhausted, if that was possible. He heard voices in the distant. Screaming orders between each other not too far away from him by the sound of it.

"Guys! Guys, I've found one!" He heard a male voice scream even closer. He heard how the man approached him before he felt a finger against his neck checking for a pulse. "He's alive! Hurry, we got a survivor over here! Get some paramedics!"

He tried to open his eyes but his eyes didn't want to cooperate and no matter how hard he tried to get them to open they stayed closed. More footsteps could be heard now.

"Here's another! Young girl, she's alive too. We got two survivors over here!" A new voice cried out.

"Hey, Mr? Can you hear me?" The first voice addressed to him. He felt a hand clasp his own. "Squeeze my hand if you can hear me, come on you can do it" He gathered all the energy he'd left trying to move his hand. He felt how one of his fingers twitched slightly. Then the man said to the newly arrived persons. "He's at least partly conscious"

* * *

_He's alive! But the Digidestineds got no clue and believes that he's dead, how will this all turn out? Review and you'll find out! ^^_

_I don't know if it was even possible for the plane to remain partly intact but this is fiction so that really doesn't matter. And about the explosion, but I at least believe that such a thing could've happened with all that fuel. That's just what I think. And about the next update it might take a while. Before I posted the first chapter I had at least written parts of the different chapters and an idea of what would happen in the next but I've barely started on chapter five. Please answer my question at the top, the answers will decide how long the wait will be ;) _


	6. Chapter Five

_**A/N: **__I'm so sorry for the delay. This chapter was the first one I had to write entirely from the beginning without really any ideas. (__Of course I wrote all the chapters before from the beginning but that was before I posted the story on ) And there have been a lot of things going on in my life so I've had a hard time finding place for my writing between school work, friends and other activities. Oh, now it sounds like I'm just making up excuses for the long wait but I swear I'm gonna _try_ to update sooner, but there's no promise that the wait for the next chapter will be shorter. Because I want to be pleased with the chapter before I post it. A Swedish saying is "den som väntar på något gott kan aldrig vänta för länge" and __can__ be __translated__ to something like "one who waits for something good can never wait to long", I'm sure there's a similar English saying but I'm to lazy to look it up ;) . And about the length on the chapters I'm happy with the way they're now, sure some of them will be longer and some shorter but approximately this will be the length of the rest of the chapters too._

_Thanks for all reviews, they're making me work faster. __I'll reply to some of the reviews because I honestly don't have time to reply to every single one after every chapter. And then the authors note would be longer then the chapter. The reason I'm answering like this and not by just responding through e-mail like most people do is because if someone ask a question through the review he or she is the only one able to see my reply and perhaps there's someone else out there wondering the same thing (it has happened to me many times). Or maybe you'll all understand my reasoning by reading the replies. _

_**Solskensfrost: **__Tack för the review (kommer faktiskt inte på vad det heter på svenska). Jag __håller med, det är inte många svenskar som man hittar så här i den härliga Internet djungeln. Att bara försöka hitta en bra fanfic på svenska är nästintill hopplöst. Jag blev verkligen glad att du skrev att du tycker att jag lyckats med karaktärerna för det är något jag finner mycket svårt, de är ju så himla många! Och engelskan, jag jobbar på det och börjar känna mig riktigt nöjd nu även fast man ibland kan sitta och tänka en evighet på hur man ska formulera sig, så även det gjorde mig glad ^^. Och hela storyn går ju ut på att förmedla sorgen de känner så det var väl bra att jag fick fram den känslan. Återigen tack och jag hoppas att du gillar nästa kapitel :D_

_**Aero Angemon: **__Thank you. You really helped me in decide what to do and convinced me all about qualities over quantities._

_**redbone18: **__Thanks for reviewing. You'll see what will happen with Nikki, all I can say is you're along the right track. Actually the poems you are referring to are songs I like. I just listen to my favourite music and look up the lyrics if I find them interesting. If I somehow can connect them to a chapter I put them in between the paragraphs or in the beginning, I'm glad you like them. Under the lyrics there's the title of the song and the artist so it's just to look them up and maybe you got the same taste of music as me and find a couple of great songs ;)_

_**Tamara Caitlyn: **__I __really__ must say thank you to you because I was completely stuck at 'acceptance' but then I reread your review and was inspired to write it focusing on Patamon, at first I had a thought about combining the first four into the last one but I couldn't find a good way to do it, so the story was abandon for a few days simply because I couldn't find a way. So thanks for that, it made the chapter come up a little bit sooner. :)_

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything…__ Neither Digimon nor the songs. _

* * *

**Chapter Five – The Five Stages Of Grief**

_It's easier to believe  
In this sweet madness, oh this glorious sadness  
That brings m__e to my knees  
In the arms of the Angel far away from here_

_Angel - Sarah McLachlan_

**Denial**

They'd all been there, they'd all heard as it happened. But even though that he couldn't believe it. He _refused_ to believe that they'd all lost a team member. He _couldn't_ believe that. He had to cling on to the hope that still was left. They couldn't know for sure that T.K. was dead. It might be a chance of one to a million but at least there was a chance, he _wouldn't_ give up hope. He would _never_ give up on T.K.

Some might call it denial, his refusal of facing the truth, but he would simply call it having hope, having faith in T.K. that he would find a way to survive this mess. For him to find a way home.

Over the years the two of them had become very good friends, if not best friends, and he cared very much about T.K. even if he might not always show it in the best way possible. They had a different friendship then the rest and Davis didn't know what he would do if T.K. died so until he actually knew for one hundred percent that T.K. was gone he would deny it.

"Oh come on, Davis" Yolei said. "You can't still be thinking about a way for him to survive that, it's impossible!"

"It can't hurt to try, you know" He replied. He knew she was a very sincere person but sometimes he wished she would just shut up and let him do whatever he wanted to do and think whatever he wanted to think.

"Well, it does. How do you even think he could've survived that? You saw the plane, or what was left of it, and it's a mess. You honestly think someone could've lived through that? And it's not like they had a bunch of parachutes just lying around."

"Yolei is right, Davis" Ken said taking side with his wife. "Don't have to much hope. It might hurt you in the end."

He was tired of this. The whole night and morning this had been more or less the same conversation going on, and he was tired of it. Why couldn't they just accept that he wanted T.K. to live and therefore tried to fine any loophole there could be in the hijackers plan. Who knew maybe a passenger was a professional skydiver and had a bunch of parachutes in his luggage? "Whatever, but you can't tell me what to believe and not believe"

"But we're not" His DNA digivolve partner said. "We're just trying to protect you from the hurt that might come if you deny what probably happened to T.K. if we find out it really did. We all rather be extremely happy to find out he's alive then clinging to the fact that we don't know for sure yet and be absolutely crushed if it really is true."

"But you're different then me! You think with your brain while I think with my heart and my gut, and they both say he's still alive!" He said raising his voice slightly.

"Come on! For once, Davis, can't you see the logic here? The plane crashed with a very, very high speed and after that it exploded. Yeah, you heard right exploded!" Yolei said also raising her voice. The time seemed to go back to when they we're kids and made a heated argument about everything. They still argued but not as before, that until now. "You honestly thought that all the fuel would just disappear in the crash? It must've exploded sometime, either at the same time as the plane crashed or a few minutes or so later."

"I didn't think about that…" Davis said zooming out a bit. "Whatever, he might've survived anyway. You know before the crash itself or after the crash before the explosion."

"As if…" Yolei mumbled not really feeling in the mood for this kind of discussion.

**

* * *

**

Anger

How could they?

That was the question that kept repeating itself in his head. No matter how hard he tried to find an answer to it he couldn't, he couldn't even understand how someone could think about it but apparently it was. And they hadn't just thought about it they had also accomplished it. Hadn't they thought about the consequences? They wanted to somehow show their dislike of the States (or that's at least what a reporter had said earlier) but was this really the only way for them to show the world their opinion? Didn't they think of all the people that they killed? They'd killed mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters and most of all friends. How could they?

Tai suddenly felt the need of hitting someone or even kill those behind this tragedy. He didn't know what to do with all his anger, how to handle it as it boiled inside of him. He didn't want to show Kari or the others how he felt. He was sure they had enough emotions by themselves to handle and maybe even similar to his own. Sure, he'd been angry before but not like this. When the Digimon Emperor held Agumon as a prisoner and let him work for him against his will he'd been angry, really angry. But then he could do something about the anger, he could get Agumon back and he could fight the Emperor. But right now he didn't even know who was behind all this, who he would crush with all his anger. And now he couldn't get T.K. back no matter how hard he and the rest of the team wanted to. He felt trapped. There was nothing he could do to get out from this angry state he was in, there was no way out.

"_Honestly, Tai, tell me you're not giving me the overprotective brother speech." T.K. said and chuckled at his new brother-in-law._

"_Well, it has to be done otherwise I'd be a shame to all the brothers in the whole world. You're a great guy and Kari and you are perfect together but I have to do this" Tai said trying to find the right words to what he was about to say. He knew that T.K. would never do anything to hurt his little sister but it was different now, they were married._

"_Alright, alright go on"_

"_I need you to promise me you won't do anything to hurt her, in any possible way. I need your word that you'll keep my sister safe and happy, T.K." _

"_I'll promise that I'll do my best. And believe me I won't hurt her or make her unhappy, at least not intentionally." At the somewhat confused and slightly angry look he received from Tai he added. "You know, I can't control __everything. I can't promise that I'll keep her happy all the time because something might happen that I'm not in control of. Like her job, I'm not the one deciding whatever or not she'll get a raise or if they're gonna fire her, I'll just support her the whole way through whatever happens."_

"_Oh, yeah that's okay. Just take care of my little sister, I don't know what I would do without her."_

"_I will." T.K. said honestly. "And neither do I, I'd be nothing without her"_

**

* * *

**

Bargaining

'_This is new for me. I don't know how to do it but I'll try because I'm gonna do everything I can that might give T.K. a chance to be alive. As I said, I've never tried it before but this seems like a pretty good time to start. And I hope that at least someone actually listens… Or rather read this. I didn't want to sit down in a corner and start to mumble to myself because then the others would believe that I've gone mad, I might though without my brother here. So I'm writing this, it might not work this way but it__'s my way so if you're gonna hear what I got to say you'll have to read over my shoulder._

_The reason I'm doing this is __because I've done something quiet similar once before. About ten years ago I was sitting in my room trying to write a new song when Gabumon entered my mind. I hadn't seen him in a very long time and I really missed him. So then, like now, I tried to get my wish heard. I suddenly had an idea how the melody was going to be like and some of the lyrics were starting to form inside my head. I started to write down the lyrics at the same time as I hummed on the melody. The entire time I thought about Gabumon and it showed in the lyrics that my mind put together. In the end the song was all about how you could know that someone else was missing you as much as you missed them. I never showed the song for the rest of the band so it never became a hit but what I mean by this whole thing is that a week later I got a phone call from Tai saying that he, Kari, Davis and my brother had gone to the Digiworld once again and that I'd probably would be seeing Gabumon soon. So my little prayer inside that song actually came true. So I'm hoping that this one will too, actually I more then hope it will I rely on it to because Earth is nothing without T.K. Takaishi._

_I really just got on question that I need an answer too. Why my brother? Why did he have to die? I simply can't find the answer myself no matter how hard I look for it. My brother __really was the best brother one could ask for and I truly regret that I didn't tell him that more often. He has never done anything wrong, ever! And now he's up there in heaven with the other passengers and not able to come back. No matter how much I want to he won't and he won't unless there actually is someone up there reading this agreeing with my suggestion. A trade. You'll get me instead of T.K., not much of an exchange on your behalf but believe me it would make everything so much easier. Sora would miss me of course and my parents, mostly dad. And maybe Tai, I am his best friend after all. But I wouldn't be as missed as T.K. is now. _

_He's a part of two teams, I'm just a part of one. It's not that I don't count Davis, Yolei, Cody and Ken as a part of the digidestineds it just that I don't know them__ as well as I know the others and no matter how much I want to I can't feel the same connection to them as I do to Sora, Tai, Izzy and the rest of the gang. They weren't there the first time, as simple as that._

_And mum is absolutely crushed right now. T.K. was her son, the one she raised.__ And he was often over at my place so he partly grew up with dad as well. But I can't say that for me. Me and mum certainly are on better terms now but we're not even near as close as T.K. and Dad are._

_And what about Kari? I like to see myself as almost a second big brother. Not because I'm her brother-in-law, well partly that__, but because that just the way it has always been between us ever since that one time Tai left her with me and I failed to protect her from Phantomon I've felt a responsibility to protect her whenever Tai isn't around. Just by looking at her now I see that she's close to breaking down entirely. And I can't blame her I feel the same way. She is a strong person even if she can appear to be somewhat fragile at times but for one person to handle all of this, it's too much. And she got even more to think about, even more need of him. I can't see my life without T.K. but too even try too visualize Kari without T.K. by her side is almost impossible._

_So I'm begging you to accept my offer because T.K.'s my younger brother and it's my job to protect him but I failed… I failed badly and I'm asking you to do this so the feeling of my failure will go away with me and bring back my little brother. My__ little brother who we all loved and still love. So, please let there be away to bring him back, take me instead.'_

* * *

_If I could just see you  
Everything would be all right  
If I'd see you  
This darkness would turn to light_

_Storm – Lifehouse_

**

* * *

**

Depression

She stared at the phone and she could almost feel how it stared right back at her. She waited, she waited for the call that would make her life go back to normal again. But she knew she was waiting in vain. It wouldn't ring, the call would never come and she knew it. She knew that her love truly was dead, otherwise someone would've called already. It had after all been over twelve hours since the crash so if they'd found him alive they would've contacted her by now.

She fingered absent-mindedly with her wedding ring. The simple golden band with a diamond in the middle shone brightly as it reflected the sunlight coming from the window. Kari turned her gaze from the phone to her ring and admired it as it continued to sparkle. He'd known her better then any one. He knew she liked the simple style, simple but beautiful was just what her ring was like and it fitted her perfectly.

If this was how the world was without T.K. she couldn't handle it. It all seemed duller and… And utterly hopeless. He wasn't there to brighten her day, he wasn't there to make her day a good one or even a perfect one. Nothing would ever be good again and it would certainly never be perfect again. Her view of perfect was with him by her side. She hadn't believed it at first. Sure, the call did frighten her and all she could think of was if T.K. was alright. But at least then she had a little hope that he'd survived but now… Now there was no hope left, hope was lost. She'd given up. She'd fallen into despair even though that would be the last thing he would want her to do but she just couldn't handle it.

She rose from her seat which earned her a couple of confused and surprised stares from the others, this was the first time she'd moved more then just changed position for many hours. She walked towards the kitchen and through the door without even looking back at her brother, brother-in-law and the women she already looked at as a sister. Her parents had left for work an hour or so ago, T.K. and Matt's mom and dad had left about the same time. Hiroaki for trying to get more information at the TV-station and Nancy had walked home wanting to be alone for awhile and to call her own parents.

Kari opened a kitchen drawer and held the item she'd picked up in her hand staring down at the blank surface reflecting a bit blurred her own tearstained face. The thought had come up in her mind multiple times that day but even though the act was somewhat impulsive it was a tempting solution of all her problems. Just one or two slashes and the problems would all disappear.

Her mind was foggy and even thought she knew deep inside that this was wrong she couldn't resist the longing feeling. Even if this was the only way for her reunite with him she would do it without a second thought.

She focused her gaze at the knife and turned it over holding it so hard it made her knuckles turn white. Her breathing became irregular and the knife suddenly became difficult for her to see as her vision was reduced by the tears now forming in her eyes.

"Kari?" She heard her brother call from behind her. "Kari, what are you doing?"

From his standing he couldn't see the knife, he didn't know what she'd planned to do.

"I… I'm fine, big brother" She replied her voice shaking slightly. "You can go back to the others"

"You can't fool me, sis. I've known you your whole life and you expect me to believe that?" She heard how he approached her. _Please, brother. Please just leave the room, it'll be better this way. I swear it'll all work out for you but I just can't handle it. So let me go, let me meet T.K. again._

"Come on, Kari. You can tell me everything and you know that. Tell me what wrong, you know besides the obvious."

She felt his hand touch her shoulder lightly and he began to turn her around. Not really having the strength to resist her brother's act and she turned, knife in hand.

"You know, Kari… Kari? What the _hell _are you gonna do with that _knife_?" Her brother yelled. She was quiet taken back by his strength in his voice. Sure, he was a bit of a yeller but _never_ towards her.

"I…I was just…" She began not finding the right words. Would her brother understand how she felt? No he wouldn't and she knew it. She loved him but her brother was too much _carpe diem_ for him to understand. He'd probably say something along the way with 'time will heal all wounds' and for her to go on with life but how could she? The main reason for her living was _gone_.

At the moment Sora and Matt entered the room having heard Tai's raised voice before.

"What are you yelling about, Tai?" Sora asked. He pointed a finger towards the sharp knife in Kari's hands which Matt already stared at. "Kari? What are you going to do with that?" She asked already understanding the seriousness in the situation.

"I'm gonna…" She stopped, took a deep breath before starting all over again. "I just can't move on…"

"I know the feeling, Kari. Trust me." Matt said looking away from the knife and looked into her eyes. "It's not worth it. It won't change anything."

"And what about me and the rest of the team? You're my little sister, it's my job to protect you from any harm. Matt might not have been able to help T.K. but he was miles and miles away, you're standing right before me and there got to be something I can do to stop you. And what about the digidestined? We've already lost one team member today, don't make us lose another one. The gang will fall apart without you, it's already on the edge without T.K."

"And what about T.K.? He would never want you to do something like this. He'd want you to live." Sora said a hint of fear in her voice. She hadn't known that this was how Kari felt, she couldn't imagine what Kari went through and if it was Matt who was on that plane instead of T.K. she didn't know what she would do. Sure, she _loved_ T.K. with all her heart. He was like the younger brother she never had but she was _in love _with the older of the brothers and she didn't even wanna think about how her world would look like without Matt. Would she consider suicide? _Yes._

"You don't get it…" Kari whispered so quietly that the others just barely heard what she said. "One of the last things I said to him face to face was that I can't live without him and now when that's reality and he's… gone, I realize just how true that was. I can't live without him!"

"Come on, Kari. You've lived without him before who says you can't do it again?"

"He's been a huge part of my life since we were eight, Tai. I can barely remember a time before I met him."

"You have to live Kari, live for my brother. The last thing he would want is for you to do something like this because of him." Matt looked at her trying to convince her that this was the wrong thing to do. "If he saw you now, you know from heaven or something like that, he'd be devastated knowing that it was all because of him. Because of his death…"

"I just… I just can't do it."

"What about the baby?" Sora asked which earned her a thankful look from both Matt and Tai. They both had forgotten all about mentioning the baby and were grateful that Sora had remembered knowing that it surely would help.

"Wh-What?"

"Honestly, haven't you even thought about him or her? The baby can't live without you, if you're gone so is he or she. You'd be killing a part of T.K. You couldn't do that, right?"

Kari stared at her with horror written all over her face. She looked behind Sora and saw a picture of the Ishida/Takaishi brothers. She could feel the picture-T.K.'s reassuring gaze on her, this was all she got left of him. A couple pictures and memories. And a child, she reminded herself. Could she really kill the baby? _No. _She dropped the knife and took a shaky step towards the three. Tai held his arms out towards her offering her a big brotherly hug which she gladly accepted. He wrapped his arms around her small crying form. _"I'm sorry"_

"It's okay, Kari. It'll be hard on all of us in future but you'll make it out of this, I'll do everything I can to help you to"

Behind the two, Matt and Sora stepped closer both putting a reassuring hand on each of Kari's shaking shoulders.

"Kari, honour T.K. by letting a part of him live on in his child"

* * *

'_Cause I'm looking at your picture  
'Cause it's all I've got  
Maybe one day  
You and me will have one more shot_

_You were my life_  
_you were my faith_  
_You gave me hope every day_

_Photo – Ryan Cabrera_

**

* * *

**

Acceptance

He _had _been partner of the bearer of the Crest of Hope. But now he was alone. His partner was dead. He'd accepted that long ago because how could there even be hope if the one embodies it was gone. And without hope there was no chance that T.K. might still be alive. Patamon wouldn't call it giving up upon T.K. just that he'd accepted the fact that he would never see him again, if there wasn't some kind of this _heaven_ that the digidestined kept talking about.

"Pata? What are you thinking about?" Gatomon asked looking at him worriedly from her place on Kari and T.K.'s bed together with Agumon, Biyomon and Gabumon.

He turned away from the window where he'd stared out into absolutely nothing the last couple of hours. He flew over to the rest of the digimon in the room and landed between Agumon and Gatomon. "I don't know what to do. What's my purpose now?"

"What do you mean, Patamon?" Gabumon asked his fellow digimon.

"You know… Before we met our human partners we knew we where waiting for something or someone that we were meant to do something and all we had to do was wait until the moment we found out what it was. Then we met T.K. and the others and we found our purpose. We lived to protect them. Even now, living in the human world, we are meant to protect them but what am I supposed to do now when T.K.'s gone? You guys still have your partners to protect but mine is _dead_ what am I supposed to do?"

"I'm sure there's something you can do. You aint useless just because T.K. isn't here." Agumon said.

"Yes, I am. I'm useless without T.K."

"Come on, Pata. Get a grip" Gatomon said looking at him with her catlike eyes. "You can still protect T.K."

"How? He's already gone"

"Think, Pata. What would T.K. want you to do?"

"I don't know"

"Gatomon, what are you talking about?" Biyomon asked clearly confused

"Come on, you guys! What did you find out today?" When the digimon shook their heads still confused Gatomon sighed before explaining. "You all found out about T.K. and Kari's baby. I already knew but for you all this was news."

"Ah, I get it now." Gabumon said. "I think I know what you're referring to."

"But I don't. So _please_, Gatomon, explain!" Agumon exclaimed.

"It's Patamon's job now along with me to protect the child of Light and Hope. He or she must not be harmed in anyway and it's up to us to make sure nothing happens." Patamon looked at his best friend and smiled. She always knew what to do to make him feel better, even in a situation like this.

"Thanks, Gatomon"

"You're welcome"

* * *

_I would really appreciate if you do something similar to what__** Tamara Caitlyn**__ did. Just by a two lines long review she helped me to go on with the story and so can you. So if there's an idea or a thought just tell me! It's fun to know what you think and it can at the same time help me. I know the job of making up ideas really are up to me but inspiration comes everywhere maybe even from your review._


	7. Chapter Six

_**A/N: **__Once again I'm sorry about the delay, I've simply had a lot to do and haven't found either the time or been in the right mood to write. You see I'm that kind of person who don't write anything for a month and then writes a chapter all at once, it all depends on the mood ;)_

_I've been on v__acation for most of the summer and I've had no internet during the time. It might not sound as a huge problem for you, just write the document and post when home. But for me it's a major problem because I use Google Translate constantly. ^^_

_Have you all heard the news__, by the way? About the ship underneath Ground Zero? Weird, if you ask me…_

_And thanks for all the reviews, alerts and favourites they all really make my day and makes this fic worth writing :)_

_Disclaimer: Well, I'm saying/writing this for the seventh time and I kinda think you're all getting it now but anyway… I don't own anything!_

* * *

_**Chapter Six –**__** The Soft Sound Of A Heartbeat**_

_When all you got to keep is strong  
Move along, move along like I know you do  
And even when your hope is gone  
Move along, move along just to make it through_

_Move Along –All-American Rejects_

_13__th__ of September – 22.34_

Two days. It'd been two whole days since T.K. had called them frightened and courageous. For Kari it seem like it had been both longer and shorter, it felt like it was just minutes ago she saw the news on the television and understood what he was talking about and yet it seem like an eternity since she'd heard his voice. His voice. She longed to her his gentle yet strong voice. She quickly eyed the room and her eyes stopped on the telephone across the room. She looked around and for the first time really noticed that she, for the first time since her so-called 'suicide attempt', was alone. Tai, her parents or one of the other digidestined were nowhere to be seen.

She turned back to the phone and crossed the room in a few quick steps. She held the phone carefully in both of her hands and walked back to the couch. She sat down as she stared unsure at the screen. Could she really manage to do it?

_Yes._

She quickly dialled the, for her, well known number and pressed call just as quick as if she feared that she'd change her mind if she was to slow.

_Beep. _

"_Hey, this is T.K. Takaishi. I can't answer the phone right now because I'm either in some meeting or busy with my wife…"_

"_T.K.!" _She could hear herself say in the background. She shivered at the tone of her voice, she sounded so _happy. _As happy as she could only be with her husband. She wondered to herself if she would or even could be as happy again, without him. The others talked about how she eventually would move on and become happy again. When the subject was brought up she pretended as if she wasn't there, that she hadn't heard what they'd said. Because she knew that she could _never_ quite move on.

Yolei had tried to cheer her up once saying that Kari would meet someone else someday, not like T.K. but someone whose company she enjoyed. But Tai had, much to Kari's gratitude, stopped her from saying anything else seeing the hurt expression on Kari's face.

"_Anyways, if you got anything to tell me leave a message. Y'know after the tone_." T.K. continued breaking her thoughts. Then she could hear her own voice join his as they chorused _"Beep" _before the actual beep could be heard.

"T.K." Was all she managed to say trough the tears that had formed in her eyes. She felt a distant throbbing and quickly recognized it as her own heartbeat and that didn't bring T.K. out of her mind for even a second. At nights when she was waiting for sleep to overtake her she just laid still and listen to T.K.'s heartbeat and it became sort of a lullaby for her. But now… Now she could never hear it again. Not even once again would she find herself listening to the soft lullaby of his heartbeat, because his heart didn't beat anymore…

"Kari?"

She turned around and stared into the brown loving eyes of her older brother. Pleased for gaining her attention he sat down next to her and lay a protective arm around her shoulders. She leaned into the embrace and put her head against his chest, listening to the soft thuds his heart made each time it beat. "Thank you"

Her brother looked at her slightly confused, but he had a small hunch of what she had meant. "For what?"

"For being there for me and for keeping your heart beating."

He had suspected the first part but was taken by surprised by the last. "I'll always be there for you, Kar"

She nodded into his chest as if she just wanted him to know that she was grateful for what he had said without quite answering.

"It has finally hit you big time, hasn't it?"

"Yes, I just didn't think it would happen to me, to _us, _you know"She said referring to the events two nights ago. "Not to anyone, really."

"Until that phone call, neither did I" Her brother replied. He then lay down on the couch bringing her with him. She cuddled up against his chest once again always keeping an ear to it listening after the rhythmical thuds. "How are you feeling?"

"What do you think, I'm a complete mess! The tears won't stop coming…"

"I meant besides the obvious pain, how do you feel?" Almost as if he suspected that she wouldn't understand his question he brought a hand to her stomach caressing it gently.

"Oh!"

"Clever answer."

"Shut up" She glared at him trying to forget about everything horrible that had happened and only focus on her big brother and his niece or nephew. Her daughter or son. "Honestly, I'm feeling fine. For the first time in a very long time I haven't thrown up all day, but I just think it's a one time thing." She stopped and fell silent for a minute or two. "You don't think… You don't think I'm making him or her sick do you?"

"Why would you?"

"Because… Because I'm like this!"

"Well, I don't think so. But… But you haven't really eaten very much since… Well you haven't eaten much in a while. So how about making you something delicious to eat so that this little pal can grow up into a strong and big mini person" Tai said eagerly as he continued caressing her tummy. He had been trying in vain for the last two days to get her to eat but she'd just declined his offers, that until now.

"That would be nice, I think"

"Good" He removed his hand from her stomach and rose. As he rose from the couch he found himself looking into his sister's, once again, tear-filled eyes.

"I miss him, Taichi"

"I know, so do I"

He put an arm around her and led her into the kitchen. "Come on, let's find you something to eat"

* * *

_13__th__ of September – America_

"How's he doing?" A friendly looking nurse asked the doctor hovering over the board holding every single detail of the young man's health. The young man was lying in the bed in front of them and was not looking good, more like he was hanging on a thin line between life and death.

"Not good, but still there is some progress since last night." The doctor replied. "He still has not woken up, but I cannot say I am surprised about that. His ribs have not begun to heal just yet but the swelling has started to disappear. Have you found out his identity yet?"

"No, I haven't. We've compared his DNA to everyone in our program but no positive results just yet."

"How about the girl?"

"More luck there, actually. Her name seems to be Nicole Le Roux, an American citizen but with roots in France. Apparently both her parents were from France but when her father died in a car crash she and her mother left their old life behind and moved to America to start all over again… How horrible! If she survives this… She will right?" The doctor nodded. "She's lost both her parents in tragic accidents, and nearly died in one herself."

"She will probably survive, she is stable now and if there are no complications she will wake up in just a matter of time. Hang on… How do you know that her mother was on that flight?" The doctor eyed her carefully trying to find out if there was something she'd withheld from him.

"I really don't but it seems that neither Nicole nor her mother had any other family in the States and I don't think they let small children travel by themselves without a family member, do they?" The nurse looked across the room at the small girl looking even smaller in the big bed. Her fiery reddish brown hair was spread out all over her pillow and the look upon her face was calm but yet made the nurse feel afraid. The girl had no one now and perhaps she didn't understand that in her peaceful dream

The doctor shrugged. "I do not know, I am a doctor not a pilot."

"Yes, sorry."

* * *

_14__th__ of September – 13.36_

"Tai?" Izzy called into the, from what he saw, empty apartment. He wasn't quite sure if this was the right time but he could keep something like this away from either Kari or Matt any longer. He'd told most of the other digidestined earlier but out of respect he'd given the two persons closes to T.K. some space.

"Yeah, what is it?" He heard Tai call from somewhere in the apartment.

"May I come in?"

"Sure thing, Iz. I'm in the kitchen."

"Okay, I'm coming." As he walked towards Tai's kitchen he couldn't manage to stop his gaze from wandering around the room. It was obvious that this was the apartment of a bachelor and that Tai had no intentions of even trying to get this place cleaned up. Tai and Matt had bought the place right after they finished high school and lived here through their collage years. It wasn't until Matt and Sora's relationship came to the stage that they got engaged that Matt moved out and in with Sora. That was the only time Izzy could recall the apartment looking somewhat clean. It was all thanks to Sora and Mimi, who'd taking it upon themselves to find all of Matt's hidden stuff in the piles of laundry and other unknown things and thereby made the apartment as clean as it had ever been after it received its new owners. "Oh, I see that you left Kari all alone to… Eat?"

"Nah, don't be stupid" Tai exclaimed to the all-but-stupid Izzy. "Mum and Dad are there with her. And I just went here to gather some clothes, and then I walked by the kitchen and thought that while I was here I could grab a bite to eat."

"Okay." Izzy said plainly. "Tai… Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Iz. What's up?"

"I've managed to get a copy of…" Tai glared at him slightly, knowing the meaning behind his words. "Okay, okay… I _illegally_ managed to get a hold of a recording of our phone conversation with T.K. the night, or day for him, he died."

"What? How… How did you do that? I didn't know they recorded all phone calls, isn't that like intruding on someone's privacy?" Tai exclaimed not sure how he would react towards the last part.

"Perhaps it is but in situations like this, it might be a good thing. I hacked myself into a server and downloaded all phone records and recordings from the night between the 11 and 12th of September. The phone company keeps the recordings a few days in case the police needs them in an investigation, but their server isn't very large and they can't keep them forever. So, before the recording of our conversation with T.K. was deleted I downloaded it and transferred it to a CD." He held up the small disc he had, sometime during his explanation, taken from a pocket in his jacket.

"So you… You got the entire conversation on that CD?" Tai looked like he didn't quiet understand everything that Izzy had recently told him, but still understood the importance of that disc and what he'd done for them.

Izzy sighed. "Yes, every single word. Or lack of it…" Izzy guided the stunned digidestined from the kitchen towards the living room, where he led Tai to the couch and then sat down next to him. From the corner of his eye he could see how Tai made a sudden motion with his hand as he drew it slowly through his thick hair. "Tai… You must understand, this might come in handy sometime. It might be horrible but some of the things T.K. said could have great importance to the American government. I suppose they're already trying to get all the information they can get, but I don't think that they've thought about the possibility that an international call could've been made during the flight."

Tai muttered something inaudible.

"What?"

"What about Kari? And Matt?" He repeated worried about his sister and best friend. "How do you think they're gonna react to this? You are going to tell them right?"

"That's why I came to you, Taichi." Izzy waited until Tai turned his head to look at him. "You have to see my dilemma here. This CD may contain something important in the search of those who did this atrocious thing to T.K. and the other passengers, not to mention what they did to those left behind here on earth, their families." Izzy frowned. "But the difficult part comes next. _If _I do turn this in, which seems like the right thing to do, then we _have _to tell Kari and Matt. And I'm not sure that they're ready for this just yet, but if I wait the villains may get away with this."

"You think the information is _so _important?" Tai asked somewhat sober.

"I don't know. For us it might not seem very important but their technicians got more and better equipment then I got. For instance they can tune out words and maybe, just _maybe _be able to make out a conversation between the hijackers. And you never know what they might have shared between one other that the passengers might not have heard."

"And why can't you keep a copy of the CD for yourself and give them the original? That way we can wait a couple of weeks, or even months, until they're ready to hear it or at least know of the CD's existence." Tai managed to get out between the flashbacks of Kari's face after the phone call. He couldn't let her hear it again, could he?

"Because… If there is something significant on the CD it will most likely be on the news. Because from what I've seen the news reports contains every single detail of the improvement in the investigation. Everyone wants to know everything and anything about this tragedy for various reasons." Izzy paused collecting himself a bit before continuing. "And how do you think Kari and Matt will react once the news anchor announces that a progress has been made investigation and it's all thanks to one of the passengers on Flight 93 who made a phone call to Japan. Don't you think they'll figure it all out right away? I mean how many Japanese citizen could there have been in the attack?"

"It might not have been a Japanese citizen…"

"I've made some calculation and that is the most logical solution."

"Okay, whatever…" Tai mumbled looking at the holder of the Crest of Knowledge thoughtfully. "And you came here to ask me whatever or not we should tell Kari and Matt, and everyone else in case they don't know already, about the CD and its content or if we'll wait until they're ready and just might let the bad guys get away?"

"Correct"

"Oh shit!"

"Exactly my point. You know Kari and Matt better then me and I thought that you might anticipate how they will react out of a better perspective then me." Izzy seemed genuinely confused, something Tai had almost _never_ seen on the genius before. "What do you think we, or I, should do?"

Tai felt the leadership grow inside him as he thought about the decision ahead. He didn't want to see his sister nor best friend that hurt again, but he knew that both of them wanted to do everything they could, even thought it might not always be much, to catch those who did this to T.K.. Maybe, just maybe they didn't have to listen to the CD. It was all up to them but if they just knew about the CD and its content that might be enough. Even thought he doubted that he saw new hope in the situation.

"Okay, let's gather the whole group tonight at Kari and T.K.'s place. Plus mine and Matt's parents, Matt's ought to know and it'd be easier if mine were there too you know for Kari's sake." Izzy nodded. "Then we'll tell them all about the CD and the job you've made. Then we'll let them decide what to do with it. Though, if I know everyone no one will protest when we suggest that we'll give a copy to the investigation. Everyone wants to put those bad guys away for life."

Once again Izzy moved his head into a nod. "By the way, Iz… How many knows about this CD?"

"All the Digidestined except Kari, Matt and Sora. I haven't managed to talk to Sora, she hasn't left Matt's side since it all happened and she bluntly refused to talk to me when I asked her if I could talk to her privately. I don't think she want to leave Matt alone with his thoughts just yet, even thought sorting out his own thoughts might be something he has to do before he can fully move on."

"Okay, you contact those who already know and I'll gather those who are unaware of what they'll find out tonight." Tai said solemnly to his fellow digidestined, it almost felt like old times with the gathering. _Almost_, one important member would be missing. And T.K. would shine with his absence.

* * *

_You've been down the dark detours  
You have seen most of it all  
Crashed into the million faces  
But never listened to them talk  
You've got so much on your mind right now  
It doesn't even help to try to solve them all_

_You used to smile when hope and a pat on the back  
Would last throughout the day  
As the rain kept falling down on you  
You wouldn't let them wash the feeling away  
Hope itself dried out in you_

_Rise To The Occasion – Kurt Nilsen_

_14__th__ of September – 18.47_

He didn't want to be here. Not now. The entire group of digidestined was gathered, both the younger generation and the originals. Even his parents and Yuuko and Susumu Kamiya were there. And for all of them to be here could only mean one thing. Bad news. It was either bad or incredibly good news that could bring the group together at a time like this. And Matt just couldn't see anything good right now so it had to be the first one. But how could there be any more bad news? After everything that'd happened in the last couple of days, how could things get any worse?

_It couldn't._

"Why are we here, Tai?" Matt asked frustrated. He couldn't help himself, he'd gone trough a couple of emotional days something he wasn't used to and simply didn't have the strength to control his temper.

Sora gently rested her hand on his arm, as if that would help him calm down. "Um…" Was the only thing his best friend could get out in the moment. Their courageous leader seamed shaken and nervous clearly shown in his loss of words. "As some of you already know I… Well… Izzy really, got some news. Good or bad I'm not really sure, both I guess… It depends on how you look at things."

Izzy rose from his seat, his fingers shaking as he held up the CD. "Most of you all know what this CD contains." He looked over the room, the faces of those who knew suddenly saddened. He looked over to Sora, Matt, Kari and the parents. "But some of you don't. For the US, or even the whole world, this CD holds important information, but for us it contains so much more on a much more personal level." He sighed. "It's a recording of T.K.'s call."

Silence ensured for several minutes before Kari spoke up. "Wh-what?"

Hiroaki and Nancy just looked at each other before Nancy said what was on both of their minds. "The call he made to you all before…"

"Yes"

"I don't understand… Is that even possible?" Sora paused. "Is that even _legal_?"

"Technically no, but personally I believe this was a reasonable exception." Izzy replied turning his gaze towards the still silent Matt who'd in the short time between Izzy's announcement and now turned ghostly pale. The others followed his gaze and it was Tai who finally addressed their fellow digidestined. "Matt, are you okay?"

"_Mon Dieu… Takeru" _He muttered to himself.

"_Il va être tout droit_" Nancy said gently from across the room to her son, seeing the hurt expression on his face through his slowly breaking shield.

Sora placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "What did you say?" She asked concerned for the wellbeing of her fiancée. "Matt?"

"Prove it," He said suddenly, ignoring Sora's question aiming his own straight to Izzy. At the somewhat confused faces around him he continued. "Prove that this CD of yours really contains Teeks phone call, or I'll refuse to believe it."

"Come on, Matt. You know that we would never lie about something like this."

"Maybe not, Tai. But have you even listened to the CD, have you heard what's recorded on it?"

"Well, no…" Tai replied quietly looking straight into Matt's blue eyes. "But do you _really _want to hear it all again? Hear your brother's last words _again, _to be filled with the same feeling of utter failure we all felt because there was _nothing_ we could do?" Matt broke the contact, and Tai quickly realized that he'd crossed the line. "Then why do you want to listen to it?" He continued his voice soften significantly as he looked at his broken best friend.

"To know it's real…" He met Tai's gaze and he immediately understood it all, just by those words Matt's world came crashing down on him and perhaps on the rest of the Digidestineds too. "To know for sure that my little brother is gone, that hope is forever lost. That he won't be coming trough that door with a smile on his face telling me…" Matt took a shaky breath as Tai noted that his eyes were visibly wet and he knew that the tears would soon make their ways down his best friend's cheeks. "Telling me _everything_."

Hiroaki, not liking seeing his eldest son like this, broke the silence which filled the room after Matt silenced. "Can we hear it? I understand if you all don't want to hear it again, but for me it's an opportunity to hear my son's voice one last time."

"I agree with Hiroaki. I'd do everything to listen to Takeru's last words; it might be absolutely horrible in one way. But a blessing as well, a last chance to say goodbye." Nancy sniffled and lifted her hand to remove the tears which had began to form sometime during the time Matt voiced his thoughts out loud.

"Kari? You ready for it or do you want me to follow you out of the room?" Yuuko asked her daughter.

"I'm okay, I _need _to listen to it." She replied her voice filled with intensity "Listen to _him_."

"Me too,"

"You absolutely sure, Matt?" Tai asked.

"Yes!"

Izzy walked over to the CD player and positioned the CD on its right place. When he moved to press the play-button he paused shortly before he pushed the button. A noise was heard from the speaker before Kari's voice could be heard. '_Hey T.K.! Are you already in San Francisco? I thought it would take a couple of more hours until you…' _Kari gulped as she recognized the happy tone in her voice, and she knew what was coming next before T.K.'s voice rang through the room.

'_Kari, I love you' _She noticed that she wasn't the only one who shivered as she heard T.K.'s desperate voice, filled with love.

'_I love you too. What's going on?'_

'_They've taken control over our plane too, the terrorists. We're being hijacked' _She had to admit, she hadn't believed him at first. Even thought his voice held sincerity and honesty. She just didn't think that it could've happened. His words had slipped her mind for a while there before she'd reacted.

'_What? You serious?'_

They all heard Matt's voice from the background. _'Kari? What's going on?' _He hadn't known then, known what was happening to his brother on the other side of the phone line.

'_They're not going to do anything stupid, right?' _She knew what to expect next, the others didn't thought and was quite shocked by his short statement which they now afterwards knew was true. His voice was frightened but also filled with pride, as if he'd already embraced the fact that his life was going towards an end and that he'd go down with honour but not without a fight.

'_Kari, it's a suicide mission'_

* * *

**A/N: **_I don not speak French but __according__ to all __lexicons __I've __checked__ 'Mon Dieu' means __something __similar__ to 'Oh my god' and it's an __exclamation__ (a quiet one though) and Matt is not referring to a god of any kind. Just thought you should now that ;) And '__Il va être tout droit' as Nancy tells him means something like 'It will be all right' (Once again according to Google translate and other translation sites). __And if you didn't know it already both Matt and T.K. are part French, if you didn't know that it probably made no sense whatsoever that Matt suddenly switched language__. x)_

_And another thing… I have no clue what the thing the doctors use to write the progress and such of their patients is called. You see it all the time on the television but I haven't really heard a name for it. In this chapter I simply call it for 'the board' but if anyone got a better word please tell me, because this wont be the __last time I mention them ;)_


	8. Chapter Seven

**A/N: **_61 reviews? Guys, you rock! I could never really imagine that this story would have over 50 reviews (I think it was more than 50 before the last chapter but I was way to excited to finally update something to notice^^) Seriously, thanks – big time! They inspire me to continue and thereby a quicker update *wink* *wink*_

_Special thanks to __**redbone18 **__for the extra encouragement and the extra inspiring reviews. I just reread all the reviews (What? They make me feel good and give me ideas :P) and I also have to thank __**magicslifer **__for sharing their memories of the attacks. I just realized something… The chapter which I got most satisfied with has gotten the most reviews so far, Chapter Four if you wanna know ;) I guess that makes sense. _

_Disclaimer: __Don't own anything, wish I did but I don't… Oh, except Nikki – She's mine! ^^_

* * *

**Chapter Seven –**** The Void Of Darkness**

_And if you were with me tonight  
I'd sing to you just one more time  
A song for a heart so big  
God couldn't let it live_

_May angels lead you in_  
_Hear you me my friends_  
_On sleepless roads the sleepless go_  
_May angels lead you in_

_Hear You Me – Jimmy Eat World_

_14__th__ of September – 19.17_

'_So, I take it as if you didn't succeed then' _Tai's voice could be heard as he spoke his final words to T.K. The owner to the voice looked around the room, his sister was shaking and crying uncontrollably in his arms and he felt like déjà vu from the night three days ago. There was not a dry eye in the room as they all knew what to expect next – the crash.

Then T.K.'s voice almost echoed through the silent room. _'We did succeed, at least partly.'_

They heard how he dropped the phone as several shrieks in the background could be heard. Once again was chaos all they heard, one could think that this second time they'd be able the separate the different noises but the task was impossible for the human ear. '_No…' _He heard Kari's recorded voice say before the volume in her voice increased. _'NO, NO! T.K.! T.K.!'_

For the second time they heard the click who acknowledged them that the conversation was over.

"Oh my god, that was even worse then the first time…" A teary Mimi said after a few minutes of silence.

"I agree" Izzy said as he removed the CD from the player and put it back in the case. He placed it on the table in front of the couch. He then walked over to his girlfriend and sat down next to her resting his arm casually around her, but they all knew that there was something else behind the casual façade. He showed by the motion a deep need to protect her from the world, from the grief.

Sora looked up at Matt as he tightened his grip around her. He had tears in his eyes and his gaze was unfocused and travelled over the room without a special target. She placed a gentle hand on his cheek, waiting for him to turn his gaze towards her. When he finally did she began to whisper words of comfort to him, she knew that no words could take away his pain but she at least had to try to reduce it. "I know this probably is the last thing you want to hear right now but… It'll be okay, eventually. Moving on is a hard thing to do but, sometimes you have to."

"I know…" Matt whispered back, his voice shaky with emotions. "I just never thought he would die before me, I know it was stupid of me to think like that but… He's my little brother, I'm supposed to protect him from things like this."

"Matt, for the last time there's no way you could've predicted that this was going to happen." She sighed. "T.K. wouldn't have wanted you to dwell on this."

Her fiancée fell silent as he knew that her words were true. He didn't know how many times he'd found himself in a, sort of, familiar situation and T.K. had told him over and over to let it go, that he wasn't responsible for all the times his little brother had somehow gotten hurt.

When Sora saw that Matt had once again drawn back into his thoughts she whispered into his ear. "I'm here for you, you know that"

Her voice penetrated his thoughts. He looked down at her and gave her the best smile he could manage right now. Pleased by this Sora moved even closer to him resting her head on his chest. She took this moment to look over to where Kari and Tai sat. Kari's eyes were still filled with tears and Tai held her close, his own eyes held tears too which he tried to blink away, for his sister's sake, she figured. As she looked at the girl she'd always thought of as a little sister, since she'd known her basically since she just a few years old, she couldn't stop a small memory from reaching her thoughts.

* * *

"_Kari, do you love T.K.?" Sora asked the girl who sat next to her on the couch in the Kamiya's apartment, both waiting for Tai to get ready for his big soccer game._

"_Yes, of course I do. He's my best friend" She replied oblivious to the meaning behind Sora's words._

"_No I mean, are you _in love_ with him?"_

"_Oh…" Was the fourteen-year-old's only reply. "I don't know…" She filled in after thinking for a few seconds, she knew she could never lie to Sora. The older girl nodded for her to continue. "I mean, I love him I know I do, but I'm not sure in which way. I know it's different from the way I love Tai and our parents. But it also different from the way I love you and the rest of the digidestined. And I'm not sure how one feel when you're in love"_

"_From the expert herself..."_

_Kari gave her a puzzled look at this, interrupting her. "From what I've heard neither you nor Matt has found the courage to confess about your feeling for one other, and you call yourself an expert?" The younger girl smirked, a quiet unusual expression on her innocent face._

"_I don't have the Crest of Courage, you know. But rather the Crest of Love and that's why I call myself an expert." Sora said defending herself, and tried to get the conversation away from her and Matt._

"_Oh, you meant it like that! Sorry, go on with whatever you were going to say" The Child of Light said the smirk on her face not quiet gone yet._

"_Okay" She studied her fellow digidestined a moment before picking up where she was interrupted the last time. "As I said, from the expert herself on love you can't describe the feeling, it different from person to person. But from my _personal _experience I can say that you love him." She emphasized the word so Kari would take the hint about leaving her relationship with Matt outside the rest of the conversation._

"_How can you know that?"_

"_Everyone that knows the two of you know it. We've just waited until one of you would come to your sense and figure it out by yourself." She paused shortly. "You can see it in your eyes and in T.K.'s also. There something else then friendship that drives him to protect you all the time, Kari, it is love. Just like you love him, he loves you."_

"_Really__, you think?" Kari asked clearly excited by Sora's words. She nodded and Kari could barely hold back a small squeal of happiness._

"_The guys have actually made a bet about when you'll become an item." _

_Kari looked slightly shocked at this. "They've what?"_

"_Made a bet. __For example, Matt thinks you'll get together before you both turn fifteen, Izzy was very specific saying at the anniversary this year and the others have different times after you turn fifteen but before you turn seventeen."_

"_They're so dead! Do they really think that something like this is something they can bet about?" Kari said with a frown evident in her face.__ Sora laughed at her small outburst._

"_Kari… Those guys bet about _everything_"_

* * *

"I guess we should go then." Nancy Takaishi's voice interrupted her memory. "Leave you kids alone for a while."

No one corrected her about how they weren't kids anymore. That they'd all grown up, as they would've told her a few days prior. They simply did not care whatever she called them kids or adults anymore for they weren't sure themselves. _How does one know the different anyways?_ Sora thought as she looked around the room. _A few days a go we all thought we were grown ups, prepared for whatever the world had planned for us. But now, when the plans had been revealed, they were kids again not ready to face the world and its problems._

"I'll drive you home, Nancy." Hiroaki Ishida offered his ex-wife.

She nodded and rose from her seat and walked over to her son and pulled him into a tight embrace. "Take care, Matt."

"I will, and you too" He kissed her lightly on the cheek, something he didn't ordinary do, but felt that this was a good moment to really begin to appreciate his mother and to show her that he did.

"Goodbye, son" Hiroaki said and put a steady hand on his shoulder as Nancy let him go and walked over to her daughter-in-law.

"Bye, dad" His father was the same as him and the need for other acts or words were unnecessary. He looked over to his mother and Kari and saw how Kari had buried her head in the older woman's shoulder. As if she felt his gaze on her she looked up and met his gaze. Kari gave him a small smile, but still a smile, which he gratefully returned. His parents walked over to the door, the Kamiyas soon joining them after saying their goodbyes to their children. The parents left the apartment and silence filled it once again.

_

* * *

_

1_4__th__ of September – The Void of Darkness_

_Where am I? _

Were the words that repeated themselves in his head as he took in his surroundings. Well, there wasn't really much to take in since there was so dark that he couldn't make out a single thing. Or perhaps this was all it was, darkness. He took a step forward slightly surprised that he could since there where no visible ground he was standing on. No floor, no grass or something else _material _on which he would be able to stand on. There was just an empty space underneath him. The place reminded him of when he and the others fought Apocalymon. _No way that this is the same place!_

"It is not, Takeru." A voice said from somewhere behind him. "When you and the other seven original digidestined fought Apocalymon you were still in the Digital World."

"Azulongmon?" T.K. said hesitantly.

"Yes, my friend" Azulongmon said his words echoing somewhat in the dark and empty place. "I am here, even though you cannot see me. I'm only here in spirit the only way one can get in here."

"But I am not here in spirit!"

"As a matter of fact you are. But that is because the connection between your world and this dark void is stronger then the one from the Digital World. And this allows your spirit to take the shape of your body, while mine is simply can't from the long distance." Azulongmon explained to the very confused Child of Hope.

"Well, if you know this much about this place… Where is it and why am I here in the first place?" T.K. asked.

The Holy Dragon Digimon sighed. "No one really knows where it is, it's commonly known by those who've been here as the Void of Darkness. The Void of Darkness location is unknown but if you _imagine_ the different worlds as if they're planets lying parallel with each other. The Digital World and Real World are aside in the middle; on the other sides of the two worlds are the Dark Ocean and the Void of Darkness. The Dark Ocean is next to the Digital World while the Void of Darkness is alongside the Real World. The closer one world is to one other the easier it is to travel between them. But you must understand that the Dark Ocean and the Void of Darkness are to entirely different worlds. In the Dark Ocean you can go in body and there are digimons who live there, in the Void of Darkness however one can only come in spirit and stay in a certain amount of time…"

"But you can never choose to come to neither the Dark Ocean nor this world can you?" T.K. said sitting down on the none-existing floor. "It calls you to it."

"Correct. With one exception…" Azulongmon replied. "You"

"Me?"

"Yes," Azulongmon said, his voice coming closer to T.K. "You, Takeru Takaishi. Not now, but many years ago when you came to Kari's aid when she was in the Dark Ocean against her own will. And to answer your second question from before… The reason why one comes here is always different but always the same…"

"That doesn't make sense." T.K. muttered interrupting Azulongmon's explanation.

"Perhaps not, but that's all I can say to you for now."

"Will you come back to explain more then?" T.K. asked the digimon. "And that I'm stuck here until then?"

"Yes, you are. Until your body recovers enough and is willing to take your spirit back." Azulongmon said to the Digidestined of Hope. "If needed then I will come back. There's someone else here to accompany you."

"Someone else?" T.K. asked as he rose from his position on the none-existing floor. When there was no reply he called out. "Azulongmon?"

"T.K.!"

"Nikki?" He turned around and saw the little girl run towards him. When she reached him she jumped up and into his arms, he held her close as she began to sob.

* * *

_14__th__ of September – 20.48_

"Hey, Yolei. Where's Sam?" Cody asked the girl he looked at as an older sister.

"He's staying at my sister's place for the night. We didn't think bringing him here would be a good thing so we asked her to watch him. And she can never say no, she simply adores him to much." Yolei replied proudly as she thought of her and Ken's son. She then turned to the other mother of the group. "Where is Katy?"

"My parents, same reason and same explanation." Izzy replied quickly from across the room just as Mimi opened her mouth to reply herself.

"Hey, no fair…!"

"Sorry, Meems." He apologized not sounding to regretful and his eyes not once leaving the computer in front of him. "It's just that our digimon are coming back any second." As soon as the words were out of his mouth the screen glowed bright and their digimon stood before them.

"Hey, guys" Davis exclaimed, he was the only one who still appeared to be the same. Ignorance is bliss as they say. He still refused to believe that T.K.'s dead, they couldn't be sure if it was out of denial or hope. "How was your day in the Digital World?"

"Hopeless" Patamon muttered and flew over to Matt seating himself on top of his head.

"Patamon is right," Palmon said quietly as she made her way over to Mimi. "The world was dull and didn't feel right at all."

"Like here then…" Kari whispered.

Tai sighed and tightened his grip around her. "I'd lie if I told you that it will all go back to normal, little sis. It'll never really, but sooner or later the pain we're all feeling will be bearable and life can go on. But it takes time, and it's only been three days…"

"Healing takes time" Ken whispered. "I might've been very young when my brother died, but the pain is the same. When Osamu died I thought my life was over. My heart gave away to the darkness to escape the anguishing pain I felt. The pain never really went away but the darkness at least decreased it, but when you guys saved me the pain came back. The memories overwhelmed me and I couldn't control them." He paused and his gaze wandered over the quiet room. "After a few days I could handle it a bit, a couple of weeks and I could be happy from time to time and now a few years later it's as small as it can be. I think about him every day, we'll all do the same with T.K. but in a while we can all confront life and be ready to face the daily things again which seem so hard at a time like this."

Yolei squeezed his hand in comfort as he finished his tale of his own experience of the pain of death. "How about…" She took a deep breath. "How about we all say something about T.K.? A memory or something we loved about him, I think it's an important part in moving on."

"I'm not ready to move on…" Kari said as the others nodded their heads to Yolei suggestion. She buried her face in her hands trying to hide her new tears from the others.

"You gotta start somewhere, Kari" Sora said. "I think this could really help us all."

"I remember one night when we were trapped in the Digital World the first time. I couldn't sleep because I was scared and homesick. I had just then realized just how it easy it was for one of the evil digimon to kidnap one of us while we were sleeping." Mimi looked over at Sora who gave her a small encouraging smile. "T.K. noticed and asked what was wrong. At first I didn't say something, he was only eight years old and I felt that it wasn't my place to be all scared while he stood there brave, ready to help a friend." She smiled as she continued. "But stubborn as he was he finally got me to tell him… I was afraid that I'd frightened him, giving him the same fear as I had, but he only positioned himself next to me, took my hand in his small one and said, 'I'll hold your hand, Mimi. Then you can sleep knowing that I'm here with you, and so are the others. There's no need to be scared, I won't let them take you.'"

"Typically T.K." Sora said quietly. "The youngest of the group but yet one of the bravest."

"That stubborn part is _so _like T.K." Agumon said. "And some of you guys too!"

"Yes, but T.K. would never to anything half-heartedly" Gabumon filled in.

"I guess that's one of the things we loved about him." Biyomon continued as both her fellow digimons fell silent.

"I envy him, you know." Izzy said after a moment. "For many things, but mostly because he's been a major part of the team through it all. Me, Mimi, Sora, Tai, Joe and Matt may have been a part of the team since the beginning but our part in our second adventure wasn't as big and important as in the first, but T.K.'s was. He was there from the beginning to the end."

"I do, too" Tai sighed. "But he never bragged about it, he was just happy to have the experience."

"T.K. couldn't swim when he was a kid…"

"That was an odd statement, Joe. Neither of us could at first." Yolei said confused. "You know, there's something you gotta _learn _how to do… Unless you're a fish."

"No, I mean he couldn't swim during out first adventure. I can't even recall how many times he fell into the water in the Digital World. Like when Gabumon first evolved to Garurumon or when in the Real World he and I was trying to get back into Odaiba through the fog and both fell of Ikkukumon as he was attacked by MegaSeadramon." Joe replied.

"Both times saved by me." Gomamon said proudly. "I'm the king of the seas!"

Tentomon sighed. "Well it is your territory, Gomamon."

"When our parents still lived together and things were the worst, I tried to comfort him as we saw how our family got destroyed. But some how it always ended with T.K. comforting me, even though he did not always know it." Matt smiled slightly at the memory. "No matter how bad the fighting got he always kept hoping for things to get right again. He would ask me to play my harmonica and then we both waited until the music was all we could hear. After that he would fall asleep at once, because he knew that when he woke up again we would have yet another day as a family."

Gabumon put a comforting paw on his knee from his place on the floor in front of him. His partner smiled at the action and put his own hand over the digimon's.

"You know…" Ken began uncertainly. "He punched me once, and it was some right hook he had."

"W-what?" Tai asked stumbling on the words. "T.K. hit you? That kid would never hurt a fly if he could've avoided it. You sure it wasn't Matt"

"Heey!" Matt protested.

"What? It could've been, your right fist is pretty powerful!"

"Yeah, it is." Matt smirked at his best friend. "And you should now that by now!"

"Me? No, no at least not from personal experience. I just know so because I've seen the black-eyes you're responsible for!" Tai pointed out with an equally big smirk. "Now, back to the punch in question… You sure it wasn't Matt who punched you? T.K. really didn't seem like the punching kinda guy."

"It was when I was the Emperor."

"Oh, then it definitely was T.K." Matt said thinking of his brother's deep hatred towards darkness.

"When was that?" Yolei asked her husband. "I can't remember seeing T.K. punch the Emperor while being there."

"Me neither." Kari put in.

"Was that the time when Patamon and I had a staring contest?" Wormon asked his partner.

Ken nodded and ran the hand which wasn't around Yolei's waist through his hair. "It was after I released Kimeramon for the first time, well… actually it was during the time Yolei and Kari fought him. T.K. confronted me about my behaviour, and I snapped and used my whip on him. He then lounged over me fist held high and punched me."

"I remember." Cody whispered and then raised his voice as he continued. "T.K. mentioned that afterwards. But he never said anything about that punch…"

"He was never one to boast." Mimi said.

"No, he wasn't…" Yolei agreed with the slightly older girl. "That was just not how T.K. was."

Davis who'd been quiet through the whole conversation now spoke up. "You mean how T.K. _is_!_"_

"What?"

"Don't you guys hear yourself?" Davis howled. "You all sound like there's no hope that he's still alive! We should never _ever _lose hope, especially at a time like this!" He glared at each and every one of them in the room. "You're all using _past tense_ even though we got no official evidence that he's gone, no body, no DNA, they haven't even given us his belongings. There might have been a crash but don't you think his digivice would at least have been found by now? That thing is magical for God's sake!"

"But Davis…"

"Don't, Cody." Davis sent him a look that sent shivers of terror down the younger boy's spine. "T.K. would be ashamed if he saw the lot of you right now, how little faith you really got in him…" Tears were beginning to form in the younger group's leader. "There's _always _hope! My bestfriend is tough; he'll make it out of this. I just know it!"

Davis looked ready to sprint out of the room when Kari rose and pulled him into a friendly hug. "Please," She whispered in his ear. "Stay."

He began to shake, his tears rolling freely down his cheeks. Kari led him to the couch where they both sat down. He buried his face in her shoulder as she held him closer, feeling rather proud of herself that she wasn't the one needing comfort but the one giving it.

Demiveemon jumped up in his partner's lap. "Davish… Don't lose hope!"

**

* * *

**

A/N:

_The Void of Darkness part is just a twist in the plot that I made up while writing. I felt like there had to be something other then sad digidestined in this chapter… I haven't started the next one yet but I will soon. And that last part… No, it wasn't a hint of Daikari, just one friend comforting the other._

**_Happy Anniversary__! _**_When I'm posting this it's the 1__st__ of August (at least here in Sweden) and that means it's exactly 11 years since T.K., Matt, Tai, Izzy, Sora, Joe and Mimi was pulled from camp and into the Digital World. :)_


	9. Chapter Eight

**A/N: **_This chapter includes some time jumps, just so you don't get confused. The other chapters are all set during the same day or at most two days (with an exception of Chapter One). And __thanks for all the reviews and such, they really mean a lot to me. :)_

_Disclaimer: Not mine, and never will be either…_

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* * *

**

**Chapter Eight – Things Are Not Always What They Seem**

_Rain is gonna fall, the sun is gonna shine,  
The wind is gonna blow, the water's gonna rise  
She said, when the day comes, look into my eyes  
No one's giving up quite yet,  
We've got too much to lose_

_Sweet And Low – Augustana_

_1__6__th__ of September – 15.26_

Matt glanced down at one of his most beloved possessions, his harmonica. He hadn't played it for years but yet it meant so much to him. It had helped him during his parents divorce, both before and after, and it also helped him a great deal in the Digital World. Many would say that it was just an instrument, but for him it was so much more. The soft music of his harmonica had always made him calm, so had other music too but it wasn't the same. It wasn't the same overwhelming relaxation as he'd felt when he'd played his harmonica.

He brought the instrument to his lips and began to play, the tones coming perfect as if the last time he'd played it was just yesterday. T.K. had always loved the sound of his harmonica playing and his thoughts wandered to his little brother, not that he'd ever left his mind. The images came rushing to him as he played, he remembered when he first got the instrument and couldn't play a note right, then T.K. was there to encourage him to not give up or all those times in the Digital World he'd played for his brother as he tried to sleep. _Big bro, you're the best._

His thoughts and harmonica playing stopped as he heard a knock on the door. "Come in!" He yelled hoping that whoever was on the other side of that door had heard him.

"Hi, Matt" His mother said as she entered the room.

"Hey, Mom."

"So… Sora's finally letting you be alone again?" She asked and chuckled a bit as she thought of her son's overprotective fiancée.

"Yeah, she believes I can handle all the thoughts now…" He replied as his mother sat down next to him on the couch. He put the harmonica on the coffee table and turned to face her.

"I haven't heard you play that in a very long time…" She sighed. "But I always loved it when you did, even though it did not sound very well in the beginning."

Matt shrugged. "You gotta start somewhere, besides T.K. wanted me to continue so I did."

"Can you… Can you play for me?"

He nodded and once again brought the instrument to his lips. The tones wandered over the room instantly making both him and Nancy relax. They sat there in silence only listening to the soft tones that became more and more like a lullaby. Matt lowered the harmonica but didn't let it go from his grasp. "Thank you" His mother whispered. "When did you get so good at this?"

He shrugged again. "I haven't played it for years, until now then…"

"I'm sorry." She apologized, he looked at her confused not understanding the reason behind it. "For not being there, for missing things like this in your life."

"Oh," Was all he could say. "It's alright…"

"No, it's not. I know how much Hiroaki regrets missing things in T.K.'s life, how he didn't realize it until it was too late to change anything…" Her eyes began to fill with tears and Matt took one of her hands in his as he saw a single tear roll down her cheek. "I don't want that to happen to us. I know it's too late for some things but… I hope there's something we can change."

He pulled her into a tight hug as she began to sob, holding her close until she'd calmed down enough to continue talking. "Mom, it's okay. You don't have to change anything, and there's no reason for dad to feel regrets T.K. loved him and knew the feelings were returned. He didn't feel like dad wasn't there through his life, I know he didn't."

"But how about you, Matt?"

"You've been there."

"Not enough, son. I know that the divorce was especially hard for you, Matt. Being the oldest and all, I'm not even sure T.K. remembers all of it, but I know you do. And I knew then too, but yet I didn't do anything about it." He squeezed the hand he still held as she continued. "When I saw you again after you, T.K. and your friends had beaten that vampire monster and we were together again all four of us I hated myself. You'd grown so much and I hated myself for not being there when you did. I understood your coldness then and I still do. You had a reason for acting like that towards me." Nancy paused. "What I and Hiroaki put you and your brother through as children is unforgivable and I just want you to know just how sorry I am about that."

"I won't say it was right what you did…" Matt started. "But I know you had your reasons for it and I don't think it was unforgivable."

"You don't?" Nancy asked uncertainly.

"No, I don't." Matt assured her and Nancy pulled her eldest son into a tight embrace. They stayed that way for a long time, Nancy holding on to the only son she'd left.

"Thank you."

_

* * *

__19th__ of September – America_

"Argh!"

"Feeling frustrated, doc?" A female nurse asked as she passed the, usually very calm, doctor.

"Yes!" He exclaimed, nodding as if to emphasize the meaning of the word and turned to her, chart in hand. "No matter how hard I try, this young man's identity remains a secret, a mystery yet to be solved. Judging by his looks he seems to be European or at least partly, but his belongings tell us something else entirely… There's this strange device that is still yet to be identified too, but when you press the buttons all that comes up are some Asian writing and something in another figure-like language."

"So… We got a European guy, who speaks several different languages, one of them Asian and were on an American domestic flight." The nurse summarized. "Yeah, I get it why you're having a hard time with the identification…"

"I just wished that the chaos on all the airlines would stop so that the can look at their documents and give us the list of all the passengers on United Airlines Flight 93. Really, how hard can it be?" The doctor snorted and continued harshly. "They probably just lazy…"

"I understand how you're feeling but please, give them some credit. They're doing all they can." The nurse put a comforting hand on the doctor's shoulder. "It's probably not just us who're waiting for the lists, remember, there were three other planes involved in this tragic event. And those lists include the names of the hijackers. They can't just realize them to the public, and by showing them to us that's exactly what they've done."

"I know, but it's been almost two weeks since the attack. What about this guys family? They must think he's dead!" The doctor exclaimed furiously. "And there's probably many more families going through the exact same thing."

The nurse sighed and the two of them stood there in silence for a few minutes before the nurse put on a warm smile. "Come on, Allen. How about we let the bureaucrats do there thing and we'll stick with ours. Making Nicole and Mr Unknown better, all right?"

The doctor nodded, back to his usual calm self. They both collected their things and the middle-aged nurse turned around to leave. "And Beth…"

She turned back to face him.

"Thank you."

She smiled and walked away from him. He stared after her before he went into the room where the two survivors were. Both of them had been unconscious since they got to the hospital, but according to the paramedics at the scene at least the young man had been partly conscious when they arrived. They were quickly brought to the hospital and some of the best doctor in the state of Pennsylvania, himself included, had done their best to save the two lives. But this outcome was unavoidable, they were both deep in their unconsciousness and they chances of either of them to wake up within the next few days were small.

He couldn't help but wonder how they could've survived the crash. It was a mystery to everyone and the only ones that could answer all their questions were the two in front of him. An investigator came by the hospital everyday and informed him about the progress in their investigation and he filled him in on Nicole and the John Doe's condition. So thanks to his place as their doctor he knows quite a lot about the crash and there were no reasonable explanation how they survived the crash itself and then eventually an explosion caused by the large amount of fuel and a fire. The other passengers all suffered by a broken neck, he had seen what was left of the bodies himself, but neither of the survivors showed any sign of a neck injury.

Unless one of them woke up soon, the mystery of their survival would forever remain a mystery.

* * *

_22__nd__ of September – The Void of Darkness_

"What? He didn't die? Why?"

"Easy, Nic. I can't answer all you questions at once, you know." T.K. said and raised one of his hands and ruffled her hair. "You sure are curious, aren't you?"

Nikki nodded enthusiastically. "Tell me, tell me!"

"No, he didn't die. At first we thought he did, but then we got a prophecy…" T.K. continued.

"What's that?"

"A prophecy is something that tells you the future. For example this one said _'The sky will be darkened by the wings of many bats. __The fallen people __will__invoke__ the __name__ of the __undead__ Digimon __king__ and __when__ the __clock__ strikes the __hour__ of the __beast__, the undead __king__will__reveal__himself__ in his __true__ form as the __beast__. __Then angels will shoot arrows of hope and light at the loved ones of those they've been sent to protect, and a miracle will happen. Please always recycle.' _and we sort of knew what would come. As small clues."

"That last part is pretty weird." Nikki said giggling.

"I know, I've never really understood why that part was in the prophecy and I don't think I ever will." T.K. said and sighed. "Now, do you want me to continue?" Once again Nikki nodded.

"While we figured out what the prophecy meant Myotismon gathered more energy and later digivolved into a bigger and stronger digimon called VenomMyotismon. Weregarurumon and Greymon tried to hold him of but when we finally got to them they were exhausted. Patamon and Gatomon digivolved but we still didn't stand a chance of winning. That until Izzy figured out the rest of the prophecy. Angemon and Angewomon had to shoot their arrows of Hope and Light at Matt and Tai, mine and Kari's loved ones. Then a miracle happened and Agumon and Gabumon mega digivolved. With the help of all of our crests they were finally able to beat him." T.K. finished.

"Matt and Tai were hit by arrows? Cool!" Nikki exclaimed and raised one hand and tried to hide it as she yawned.

"Time to sleep, Nic." T.K. said feeling a bit tired himself. _Even spirits have to sleep._

"But I wanna hear more!" She protested and pouted.

"There's more, but don't you want to be awake when I tell you?" T.K. said and smiled down at the small girl. They'd been stuck in this so called Void of Darkness for several days, he couldn't be sure how many since here the days and nights looked the same. Or perhaps there was no time at all in this darkness, what did he know. Nikki had quickly grown bored so he decided to entertain the girl by telling her all about their adventures in the Digital World.

They both lay down on the strange ground and T.K. wrapped his arms around the four-year-old. She snuggled into his chest and quickly fell asleep, being more tired then T.K. had first thought. He himself stayed awake for awhile, trying to figure a way for them to get out of there. But as always he didn't come anywhere with his escaping plans and soon followed Nikki into the world of dreams and nightmares.

* * *

"_Hi, what's your name?"_

_T.K. looked up from his notebook only to find a young girl's face only inches from his. The girl's mother, a middle aged woman with reddish brown hair, looked at her daughter and sighed. "Nic, don't disturb the young man."_

"_It's okay, I don't mind." T.K. reassured the mother and gave her a warm smile she gladly returned. He turned to the girl who seemed to be three maybe four years old. "Hello, I'm T.K., do you got another name besides Nic?"_

"_Yes, I'm Nicole. But you can call me Nic or Nikki." The girl gave him a toothy grin, her emerald eyes sparkling with happiness. She then turned to her mother. "Momma, I want candy…"_

"_Sweetie, you _always _wants candy." She looked slightly annoyed but from the looks of it she couldn't stay that way for long. She smiled, opened her handbag and held a candy bar out for her daughter to grab. "But this is the only one you'll get during the entire flight. You sure you don't want to save it?"_

_Nikki quickly snatched the piece of candy from her and opened it. "I'm sure, mommy!"_

_T.K. chuckled and turned back to his notebook, trying to come up with something good to write down on it. __His mind seemed blank and all he could think about was that uneasy feeling he'd been feeling all morning. He shrugged at his thoughts and tried to ignore the feeling, it probably was nothing, just like Kari's bad feeling about him going to the States had turned out to be nothing. He turned around and looked at the other passengers, trying to find inspiration there. There was an old couple, a few teenagers spread out over the seats but mostly it was businessmen and women, just like him, returning home to their family from work or perhaps the other way around. T.K. sighed, this was no use. He simply had a small writer's block, or something like that. _

_Before he decided what to do instead his thoughts was interrupted by a frantic scream coming from the first class. "What…?"_

"_It's probably nothing." Nikki's mother reassured him. Nikki however ignored the sound continuing eating her candy bar. "Just a surprised passenger…"_

_Then another scream could be heard, and another… "No, no. This isn't just a surprised passenger… Something's wrong in there."_

"_Holy shit!" Someone from first class screamed before a swarm of passengers from first class ran down the aisle into their section._

"_What's going on?" Someone shouted from the back of the plane._

"_Move! Get back!" A man yelled as he ran down the aisle. "Don't stop!"_

_T.K. locked eyes with Nikki's mother, her brown eyes just as confused and shocked as his own. "Nikki, come on." She said to the girl. Nikki barely had time to grab her backpack before her mother shoved her in front of herself and they both left their seats. T.K. followed after them leaving his own bag by his seat. _

_Somehow in the chaos Nikki got behind her mother. She tripped and fell forward as someone in the back pushed everyone further down the aisle. In a swift move T.K. lifted her up and continued after the rest of the passengers. "I got you."_

_T.K. followed the mother even further down until all the seats were occupied.__ In their haste T.K. found time to hand Nikki over to her mother who gently but quickly placed the girl in the middle seat while she took the unoccupied aisle seat. T.K. seated himself on the opposite side of the aisle and for the first time since they'd started their flight down the aisle he turned around, and what he saw shocked him. Two men with small knives were in his sight, one of them pushing the passengers down the aisle and the other with what looked like a bomb around his waist holding his hand high in the air with a tight grip around the detonator. _

"_Oh god! Is that real?" The mother whispered from across the aisle. Apparently having seen the same thing as he did when __facing the opposite direction, now the way that was straight forward._

"_Is that a bomb?" A masculine voice behind him asked no one in particular._

_The man in the seat next to him shifted uncomfortably and whispered to him. "Do you think we've been hijacked?"_

_T.K. shrugged. "I don't know. Look's kinda like it, I mean why else would they act like this?"_

"_But… I haven't heard of a hijacked plane for years, at least not one who succeeded in breaking into the cockpit." The man whispered back. "If this really is a hijacking our luck sucks!"_

"_Momma, what's going on?" T.K. could hear Nikki ask. "Why did we move?"_

"_I don't know, sweetie."_

_T.K. turned and looked at the flight attendants in the back. They were whispering frantically to one other, one of them holding an airphone in a tight grip. She put the phone down and shook her head having not gotten through to the cockpit T.K. figured. "I think they're in the cockpit, from the looks of it they can't get a hold of the pilots." T.K. said nodding his towards the flight attendants._

_The man next to him shook his head sadly. "Damnit!" _

"_They stabbed a guy." A man behind him informed them. T.K. turned around to look at him. "Cut his throat. He's gonna bleed to death if we don't do something, help him in some way."_

"_There's no way they're letting us through__." The man next to him stated. "Even if they did what do we do when we get to him, I don't know a thing about that stuff."_

_A redhead woman overheard their conversation and rose from her seat drawing the attention of the hijackers. She walked slowly towards them, holding her hand up. "Let me help him." She pleaded and motioned over to__ where the man apparently laid, out of T.K.'s sight. "Please!" T.K. watched as they let her through but she barely had time to kneel next to the man before they pushed her back again, having changed their mind._

"_Back, get back!" One of the hijackers yelled with a heavy Arabic accent holding a small knife dangerously close to her throat._

"_This can't be happening…" A feminine voice from somewhere behind him whispered in between sobs, the quietness in the area making it possible for him to hear her. "It's unbelievable, so surreal…"_

_From the corner of his eye he saw as men and women lifted their cellphones and the airphones calling families and searching for help or information. T.K. took out his own cellphone from his pocket and fingered on it deep in thought. He knew that he probably should call Kari, but yet he hesitated. What if the hijackers just were after money or something like that? Then there was no reason for him to call her and make her and the others worried. If the hijackers just got what they wanted then there was no reason to be worried, was there? He doubted his thoughts a bit but put the phone back in his pocket anyway, if he was wrong he could always call her a bit later when they all knew more._

_The guy next to him looked like he stood in front of the same dilemma as him did but unlike T.K. he dialled the number and brought the phone to his ear. "Hi honey"_

"_No, I'm fine. There's just a bit of a problem with the plane…"_

"_No, no nothing mechanical." He sighed, clearly unsure how to tell deliver the news. "We think that… No, we _know _that we've been hijacked."_

"_Calm down, Annie. It'll probably work out in the end, you'll see. I love you, too"_

_T.K. stopped listening to him as he felt the conversation going to a personal level, instead he looked around at the passengers. Now almost everyone held a phone of some sort to their ears. He turned to Nikki and her mother, they both looked deep in thought. The mother turned and locked her gaze with his. "Do you think there's anything we can do, T.K.?"_

"_I don't know, for now I just think we have to find out more about the situation we're in." He absentmindedly ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry but I can't recall hearing your name…?"_

"_Jeanne Le Roux" She introduced herself and held her hand out for him to shake which he did._

"_Takeru Takaishi." He smiled. "But as you know, everyone calls me T.K."_

_A man from two rows in front of them suddenly bent forward and whispered. "Hey, guys! Two planes have hit the World Trade Center, one in each of the Twin Towers__!"_

"_Did you really hear that right, sir?" __Jeanne asked him. _

"_Yes! My wife says that judging by the size it was two passenger planes too. It's possible that those planes were hijacked too, I mean what's the chance of a passenger plane flying into a building? And then that there was two makes it even more clear." The man whispered back. "It's all over the news."_

"_Oh my god!" A woman from the back whispered in shock. "The Twin Towers? There's got to be thousands of people working there!"_

_The man who'd told them the news nodded. He still held the phone to his ear and listened intensely what his wife on the other side told him. "And we aren't the only hijacked plane in the air either…"_

"_There's more plane other then us and those two that hit the World Trade Center__ who've been hijacked?" T.K. asked bewildered and groaned when the man nodded. "Oh shit!"_

"_Something has happened at the Pentagon!" The man next to T.K. told them. "An explosion of some sort…"_

"_You don't… You don't think it was another plane, do you?" A flight attendant who'd seated herself behind Jeanne._

"_I don't know." T.K.'s neighbour shrugged. "It could be…"_

"_Do you think they're terrorists?" An old woman asked from the window place on his row. "The hijackers are they terrorists?"_

"_Um… I suppose they are…" The guy in front of him said uncertainly. He looked at a middle aged man next to him for confirmation, the man nodded and he continued. "They are terrorists, ma'am." _

"_It's a suicide attack." The man who'd told them about what'd happened in New York. "They're using the planes as weapons to kill as many as possible. Us, them and all the people in whatever building they've chosen for this plane to fly into. We have to do something about it. I for one will not go down without a hell of a fight!"_

"_Yeah! Let's show those guys that they can't use us in their plans!"_

"_Maybe we could plan something first?" They all turned to blonde woman. "I mean, if we rush there without any weapons or a plan we'll get killed before we even reach the cockpit. How about we all make ourselves a plan, call our families just in case and then make a revolt, how does that sound?"_

"_Perfect." Jeanne said and smiled towards the other woman. "Let's do what she says!"_

"_Do you have anything we could use as a weapon or at least that would…"_

_T.K. stopped listening and pulled out his cellphone once again. He looked at it for awhile and sighed, unsure what to do. "Just call them." Jeanne interrupted his thoughts. "Your family or whoever you thought about calling would want to know that you're okay and what's going on."_

_He nodded but still hesitated. "But I don't want them to worry, you know."_

"_Even if we all make it out of here in one piece they would have wanted you to call, you know that. So just dial the number." She encouraged him and smiled._

"_Yeah, probably…" He smiled back and quickly dialled his own phone number, knowing that all the Digidestined would be at his and Kari's apartment by now. As he waited for someone to pick up he once again turned to Jeanne. "Thanks." Just as she turned to him someone picked up the phone._

"Hey T.K." _Kari_ _said happily. Judging by her tone she had no idea what was happening in America right now, what was happening to him now._ "Are you already in San Francisco? I thought it would take a couple of more hours until you…"

_

* * *

__24th__ of September – America_

"Dr Johnson!" A nurse called out from the other side of the corridor. The doctor turned around as he heard his own name and waited for the nurse to reach him. "Dr Johnson!"

"Yes." As he saw the smile on her face he wondered what possibly could have made her so excited. "What is it, Beth?"

"We've found a match… I mean we've identified the John Doe from the plane crash." She seamed out of breath but still kept the smile on her face. "He was not in our database, because as you expected he's not an American citizen, Allen. But we got the passenger list from United now and we compared the info we got from there. And there was a male, 21 from Japan on the plane. We compared the Japanese's DNA to our survivors and they match!"

"Finally!" The doctor exclaimed visibly relieved. "So… Who is he?"

"The man lying in there…" She nodded towards the room where they strangely enough managed to find themselves in front of. "… is Takeru Takaishi."

* * *

_25__th__ of September – 10.24_

'_Because of the heroic actions of the passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 the plane failed to reach it's, yet unknown, intended target and saving possibly hundreds of lives. The passenger should therefore be remembered for what they truly are, heroes.'_

Kari watched the television closely. She agreed with the news reporter, T.K. and the other passengers really were heroes. To do such a heroic act required courage, more courage then she could ever imagine herself have. To revolt against armed hijackers who had control over both the plane and a possible bomb was valiant. A true sign of heroes.

Lost in her own thoughts she forgot her brother for a while, but quickly remembered that he was by her side as he took her hand in his. Whatever it was Tai himself who needed the support or he thought that she needed it she didn't know, but regardless of his reason she was glad for the gesture. She looked up at her brother. He had been her hero, her protector all through her life and even though T.K. had somewhat taken over the role the last few years Tai was now back in the position he had been from the day she was born.

She knew she was a mess, but that didn't mean she hadn't noticed that everyone else had changed too. That she wasn't the only one affected by the loss of T.K., of the loss of their friend, brother and in her case husband. _And father. _She gently put her free hand on her stomach. Her child would have to grow up without a father. T.K. would never be able to teach their child how to shoot the hoops. He would never get the chance to tell their son or daughter about their adventure in the Digital World, or even read aloud from one of his books. Because of the hijackers and everyone else behind the attack he would never get the chance to even hold their newborn baby. _Life is not fair._

_No, I will not think like that._

She forced her thoughts away from the subject and they landed once again on her big brother. Her brother was the leader, the courageous and strong one. But Kari saw behind that, she saw just how affected he was by this even though he tried his best to hide it. He was keeping it together for the team, for her. He knew that when she couldn't find the strength in herself she looked after it in her older brother. She was thankful he thought of what was best for her but she didn't want him to hide all his emotions from her. She didn't want him to end up like a shell.

"Tai?" He turned and looked her in the eyes. "What are you thinking about?"

He looked away from her, but still felt her gaze on him. "Oh, just _stuff_…"

"What stuff? You can tell me everything, you know that, brother."

"T.K."

"Huh?"

"I was thinking about T.K."

"Oh, I guess I knew that." Kari rested her head on his shoulder, after seeing how tears had formed in her brother's eyes. She kept his right hand in a tight grip as she continued. "You've been there for me through it all, comforting me and just holding me while I cried. How about if I did my fair share now?"

Tai raised his left hand and with a quick movement dried his tears with the back of his hand. "I just… I don't know, I was just thinking how it would all be different if he was here now. He would just crack a joke about everything and smile that big and happy smile of his and everything would be alright again."

Kari nodded, a quite awkward motion as her head was still resting on his shoulder, but she didn't trust her voice enough to talk. She felt how her own tears started to form but bit her lip to restrain a sob. She blinked away the tears and took a deep breath. _For once I have to be the strong one, Tai needs me._

"But let's not talk about me." Tai interrupted her thoughts. "How's my favourite niece or nephew doing?"

"Fine, I think. Nothing out of the ordinary." She lifted her head of his shoulder and glared at him.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Can't a guy ask his sister how her unborn child is doing or what?"

"Yes, you can but not as an excuse for changing the subject." Kari said calmly. "Taichi, you have to face your own problems now. I'm not the only one in this room who has a hard time dealing with the fact that T.K. won't be coming through that door anytime soon."

"Then what do you want me to do, _Hikari_?" Her brother replied emphasizing her full name.

"Just talk about it, Tai. You've been focusing so much on me and forgetting to talk about it yourself. Please, just tell me how you feel." She insisted as her brother looked at everything but her. When he finally met her gaze she saw all the emotions he'd been hiding all this time.

"Like crap, okay?" He finally said his voice shaky by the amount of emotions in it. His eyes once again held tears that he refused to let fall. A few tears made it down his cheeks regardless of his effort. "Just because I'm not his real brother doesn't mean I didn't care about him as much as I did. I dunno what else you want me to say…"

Kari pulled him into a comforting hug. He sobbed against her shoulder and she just held him until he had no tears left to shed. After several minutes he finally lifted his tearstained face he gave her a small smile which she returned with some effort, tears making her gaze blurred.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes, little sis." He squeezed her hand. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Her vision was even more blurred now. "Oh god, you'd think I'd shed enough tears for a life time now. But _no _they just keep coming!"

He chuckled slightly. "Face it, you're a crybaby." He paused then continued with a softer tone. "Well, you've had your reasons."

"Yeah," She sighed. "I guess I have…" As she raised her hand to wipe the tears away the phone rang. She just looked at it at first before she hesitantly picked it up and answered.

"Hello?"

"_Hello, I'm from the __St. Clair Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and I wish to speak with Hikari Takaishi if she's available."_

"Well, she is considering I'm Hikari Takaishi." She replied nervously, why would someone from a hospital in America call her… Unless it was one of those hospitals that recovered bodies… Dead bodies, those that needed identification. Oh god, she wasn't sure if she could handle seeing T.K.'s body. But they couldn't ask her to do that, could they? They should already know otherwise they wouldn't know it was her they had to call. _Patience, Kari, you can't know before the man tells you why he called._

"Who is it?" Tai asked locking his gaze with hers. She shrugged as a reply and waited for the man from the hospital to continue.

"_Alright, I got the job to deliver the news to you, Mrs. Takaishi." _The man sounded oddly happy. _"But first I have to apologize, we would have called you sooner but with everything that's been happening the last couple of weeks all work takes at least twice the time it usually would. Me and my team has tried our hardest to speed things up but in the end it wasn't anything we could do without help from the Airline and let's just say that they've had more then a hand full these few weeks…"_

"What news?" She interrupted him. She still felt hesitant but the more he talked the more confused she felt.

"_Your husband is alive__, Mrs Takaishi"_


	10. Chapter Nine

**A/N: **_I'm not sure if it's just the younger members of the group that has a D-Terminal or if the older ones got one too. If you know, please tell me. Well, I didn't even think about it as I wrote Chapter Four so there it was mentioned that neither Tai, Sora nor Matt had brought their D-Terminal, so I guess I'll continue with the fact that everyone got one, okay? Oh, and I have no idea if they look they same or if each D-Terminal got something 'personal' in it, here they don't._

_I'm sorry that it's so short but I wanted to post something today. I wrote the first part of this chapter __right after posting Chapter Nine and the second part today and between that… nothing. That's just how my writing works. ;)_

_I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, I haven't started it yet but hopefully it will be both longer and posted quicker then this one._

_Disclaimer__: Sadly, I own neither Digimon nor any of the songs in the story…_

* * *

**Chapter Nine – ****There's Always Hope**

_It's a new day  
It's a bright day  
Even when you stand in the dark  
It's just that  
You've been broken into fifty pieces  
Today is gone  
I'm the only light that you see  
You need someone  
I know all you needed was me_

_Sunshine – The All-American Rejects_

_25__th__ of September – 11.14_

"_Mrs. Takaishi? Are you still there?"_ The man asked her after a few minutes of silence. _"Mrs. Takaishi?"_

"Kari, what's going on?" Tai wondered and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. He tried to get her to look at him but failed as her eyes weren't able to focus on anything and just stared out in space, deep in thought or not thinking at all. _Actually, she looks like she's in shock or something. _Tai thought shaking his sister lightly. "Kari?"

Had she really heard that right? T.K. was…_ Alive?_ She shook her head at her thoughts, it couldn't be possible. She must've heard it wrong, she'd seen the plane on the TV. No way anyone could've survived that. As she felt Tai shaking her even harder she collected herself somewhat. "Excuse me, I think I heard you wrong. Can you repeat that?"

"_Your husband, Takeru Takaishi is alive. I'm standing right next to him right now. He's not conscious though, but very much alive. I think it would be a good thing if you and other family members or friends to Takeru could come here to Pittsburgh. It might help him wake up."_

Kari felt the tears form in her eyes, happy ones if what the man said was true or sad ones prepared to fall if it turned out to be a joke of some sort. "Are you… Are you sure that he's…?"

"_Very sure, Mrs. Takaishi. We would've called you sooner but there were some complications I'll tell you about once you get here, okay? Now jump on a plane and get here!" _The man said and chuckled slightly. _"Once you get here go to the St. Clair Hospital and ask for Dr. Allen Johnson, that's me and I'll show you to his room and inform you about his condition."_

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed. She felt dizzy and her sight was turning all blurry due to her watery eyes. She felt Tai lead her to the couch and once she didn't have to focus on not falling a smile formed on her before so tight lips. The tears finally started to roll down her cheeks, happy ones. She was slightly aware of Tai's arm on her shoulder as he stood next to her. And she felt his gaze on her. but for once in her life she ignored him completely. After a moment she collected herself, at least somewhat, and asked a question she'd rather not ask but felt the need to so her newfound hope wasn't for nothing. "Is it bad? I mean…"

"_I understand. As I said he's unconscious but otherwise he's as stable as he could possibly be after being in a plane crash. __I'm not going to lie, he's badly wounded but it could be worse, right? I am rather sure that he'll be alright once he wakes up, there are some things we can't be sure of until we actually talk to him."_

"Yeah… I'll… I'll jump onto the next plane then, see you in a while, I guess." Kari said her voice shaky with the large amount of emotions in it. "Bye."

"_Goodbye, Mrs. Takaishi. I'll see you soon."_

"Kari, what did the caller want? Why are you crying and smiling and looking on the edge of breaking down?" Tai asked bewildered, deeply concerned for his little sister.

"Tai!" She turned to him and looked him in the eyes. The tears ran freely down her cheeks now and her lips formed into a huge smile. "He's…" She started. "T.K. is alive!" She rose and jumped up into his arms hugging him tightly. As she felt his stiff form she once again looked into his eyes and saw the doubt there, he too was afraid to believe it was true. "He survived! He's not dead, he's alive! It's true, he made it through the crash. He hasn't left us!"

"K-kari?" Tai finally stammered out. "Are you sure?" She nodded. His lips formed into an equal big smile and he began to twirl her around, still hugging her tightly. "We have to tell the others!"

She nodded again. "You tell everyone to get here right away, but don't tell them why, I wanna surprise them all at once. While you're making all the calls I'll pack some bags and look when the next available plane to the States leaves." He put her down and they immediately sprung to action, Kari rushing to the computer while Tai took the phone from the couch, where Kari had dropped it when she'd rushed over to hug him, and started dialing the numbers of their friends.

"Hey, Matt. Do you think you can come over to Kari and T.K.'s place?" Tai said quickly as soon as his best friend picked up the phone. "Right away, it's important. And bring Sora, too. Bye!"

"Hurry, Tai!" His sister shouted from in front of the computer.

"I _am _hurrying! I didn't even let Matt say a word." Tai paused as a thought accured to him. "Heey, Kar! Where's your D-Terminal? I didn't bring mine. And contact everyone by their D-Terminal's would be the quickest way."

"Bedroom," Kari replied without turning away from the computer. "Top drawer"

"All right, thanks!" Tai rushed into Kari and T.K.'s bedroom. He quickly looked around the room, one could easy see that this was the room of his sister and his brother-in-law. The room particularly screamed T.K. with all the books and basketball prizes, which stood along with all of Kari's pictures on the shelves above the bed. Kari's pictures weren't the only ones in the room either. There was the one Andromon took that day in Primary Village, a couple from their wedding, one of each of the sibling pairs and of course the one they took in New York.

He looked into the top drawer and just as Kari had said there her D-Terminal was. Next to it was T.K.'s. Although the two D-Terminal's were identical somehow Tai could feel which one belonged to T.K. and which to Kari. He quickly started typing a message on Kari's D-Terminal and pressed send. It wasn't long before the rest of the gang's responses came, each confirming the message.

_

* * *

__25th of September – 12.04_

"So… Why are we here?" Cody asked a bit confused. He and the other eight digidestined who were oblivious of the great news Kari had received earlier sat in various places in the living room waiting for either her or Tai to tell them why they were there.

"Yeah, and why the great urgency?" Joe continued.

"Well, you see…" Tai started and then looked at his sister next to him. She looked somewhat nervous, her face in a small frown as if her thoughts were a mess. He wasn't surprised if they were, his certainly were. The first shock, the happiness and the incomprehension had started to wear of, at least most of it. He couldn't quite understand how it was possible that his brother-in-law had survived, but the doctor's words had filled him with hope, the hope that his words were true. But it wouldn't be more then hope until he saw T.K. alive with his own eyes. "Kari, why won't you tell them?"

She just stared at him. By the look in her eyes the shock had caught up with her. "Come on, Kar." He urged.

She blinked once, twice and by the third blink her eyes focused and she took a deep breath. Her lips turned into a small smile as she whispered three words, three words they'd all secretly hoped to hear ever since they first realized the consequences of that day, that they'd lost one of their own team members. The only thing was, they didn't know they'd in fact just been told those words.

"What did you say, Kari?" Sora asked the younger woman. She sat next to her fiancée, and both she and Matt looked just as confused as the rest of the team. All wondering what Kari just had told them.

"You know, I don't got superpower hearing or anything like that!" Davis exclaimed, curious to know what caused their comrade to smile so sincerely. "Speak up!"

Kari obeyed him, for what seemed like the first time, and spoke up. "Davis was right." There's a hint of happiness in her voice, something they'd hadn't really heard since T.K. died.

"You had us all come over here to tell us that?" Yolei asked her best friend.

"No, not just that…" A smile appeared on her face as on cue. "Davis was right… There's _always _hope." Her smile grew as she finally said those three words once again. "T.K. is alive."

Silence. No one said a world for what seemed like ages. Each member of the team taking in the news they'd just been told in their own separately way. It was not a surprise that it was finally Tai who broke the silence, not being able to see the disbelief in some of their friend's faces. "It's true. We don't know how but it seems like T.K. survived. He's in a hospital in Pennsylvania."

"How can you be so sure?" Ken asked, still somewhat in disbelief. It wasn't that he doubted his friends, just that it seemed impossible for anyone to survive that crash.

"A doctor called Kari about an hour ago." Tai replied simply. He could see hope in most of the Digidestineds eyes, but there were still some doubt.

"It's not scientifically possible for a human being to survive a plane crash like that. Not to mention the lack of information received from the Americans about this."

"Izzy's right." Cody continued. He looked at each of the present Digidestined trying to make them see the logic in the situation that he and Izzy saw. "As much as I want to believe this is true, wouldn't we have heard it on the news? Or at least wouldn't they have called Kari sooner, it's been two weeks. How…"

"Maybe there's no need for an explanation." Mimi interrupted a gentle smile on her face. "Maybe it's simply a miracle."

"A miracle." Yolei whispered, for once short on words. Still, she managed a small question. "Then, how is he?"

"Not good, but he's alive." This time it was Kari who answered the question simply, since Tai didn't actually know much compared to her. "The reason they didn't tell us sooner was due to a complication of some sort. He said he'd tell us more when there."

"So… My brother's not dead…?" Matt finally managed to ask. His face was ghostly pale and his hand held Sora's in a tight grip. His mind seemed confused but the fact that his little brother was still on this earth slowly made it self clear. "How… Please, Kari. I need to know, how is he really?"

"Well, I'm not sure." Kari started. "Alive but badly wounded, the doctor said. He also mentioned that he wasn't awake. But that's all I know."

"Did he say whatever T.K.'s in a coma or just unconscious?" Joe asked taking his role of the doctor in the group. Kari shrugged in response. "A coma is harder to wake up from then unconsciousness, so hopefully it's the last one."

Davis who'd been unusually quiet through almost the entire conversation suddenly spoke up with a huge smile on his face, lightening up the mood both by his smile and his words. "I knew it! I told you so! There's always hope, no matter what. And you guys didn't believe me, look how's right in the end. Kari is right; I was right!"

"Now we're going to have to hear that all the time…" Yolei muttered and sighed, still a small smile was evident on her face.

"Yes, you are!" Davis teased. "But just admit it, Yolei. It's all worth it!"

"Yeah, it is."

"Wow, Davis and Yolei agreed on something! T.K. better hurry up and get back here because things are starting to get pretty weird by now." Ken joked, earning himself a smack on the shoulder from his wife.

"Shut it, Ken." Yolei mumbled, still smiling though. "So… when are we leaving?"

"Huh?"

"Don't tell me you thought we'd all let you go alone." Mimi continued after her fellow Digidestined. "We're a team. There's no 'I' in 'team', remember?"

* * *

**09.11.01 - 09.11.10**

**Rest In Peace**


	11. Chapter Ten

**A/N:**_I absolutely hate empty documents, probably one of the reasons it takes so long for me to even start writing. The emptiness just isn't very inspiring. __**Thank you!**__ You know, for all the reviews, alerts and such. Unlike the empty document the reviews are a huge part of my inspiration and sometimes give me one hell of an ego-boost. ;) _

_Disclaimer: Don't own a thing except__ sweet little __**Nicole Le Roux**__ and the plot, nothing else… Except if I'm dreaming. ;)_

* * *

**Chapter**** Ten – The Way To Reunion**

_That I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I miss you  
Been far away for far too long  
I keep dreaming you'll be with me  
and you'll never go  
Stop breathing if  
I don't see you anymore_

_Far Away - Nickelback_

_25th of September – The Void of Darkness_

'_It was just a dream, just a dream.' _

Takeru Takaishi repeated the same words in his thoughts a numerous of times before his breathing became regular and his shaking body came to a stop. He was kind of used to the routine after having the same dream every night, at least he thought it was night. The darkness made it impossible to separate day from night. And the absence of Azulongmon didn't make it easier to figure out anything more about the strange and dark world they were currently stuck in. So, they simply slept when tired, which probably was the only good thing at the moment. He absentmindedly tightened his arms around the young girl, as to make sure she was still there. She responded by snuggling even closer to his chest, which T.K. didn't even think was possible.

'_A memory really…'_

Nikki had been chased by the same nightmares as he. From what he'd heard from her during the night, and from the little she'd already told him, the scene that kept repeating itself was the moment her mother was killed. T.K. couldn't even imagine how she felt right now. He was haunted by the moment and he wasn't even close to the woman, he'd only met her at the start of the flight. Really, he hadn't known anyone on that plane, if you don't count the quickly forming companionship which always forms during extreme circumstances as their own had been. But Nikki had lost her mother on that aircraft and not even in the crash but killed right in front of her. T.K. was quiet impressed by the strength the girl showed. Sure, she'd cried _a lot _but other then that she handled it impressively, jumping nearly all the stages of grief and accepted it right away, sad that her mother was gone but otherwise alright.

His thoughts went to his own family and friends. Did they know that he was still alive?

_I'm not even sure myself…_

Or did they think that he was dead? That he hadn't survived the crash and died along the other passengers, the crew and the if they mourned his death, all in vain? Oh god. He'd made his wife, his brother and all his friends think he was dead. Not on purpose, though. But still, he felt responsible for making them put up with something like that.

_I don't know what I'd do if I was in their position. If it was Matt, Kari, Davis or someone else I care about who was on that plane._

Nah, no need for him to be so sentimental. There was probably nothing for him to worry about. The gang probably stayed optimistic until they could find out more, and when they did they'd get to know that he was still alive. They probably didn't even tell his parents before the whole thing was over. Just a scare, that was all there was to it, a slight fright. T.K. smiled to himself. He tried to stay positive through whatever situation he was in. There was always a way out. He'd never failed before in finding his way back to his friends. Why would it be different this time?

_I wonder what shape my body is in. Azulongmon only mentioned that we'd be here until our bodies are somewhat recovered, but just how much do they need to recover?_

His body was probably in a hospital. The doctors were treating his injuries and Nikki was most likely in the bed next to his, or at least in the next room. Soon his friends would get there. Matt would bring his harmonica and play to him while Kari brushed away some of his bangs out of his eyes and kissed him softly on the forehead. In the background Davis, Ken and Tai had a heated discussion on the American soccer teams and Yolei and Mimi had another conversation about the amazing pair of shoes on of them had found in a nearby shop. Joe would probably be talking to the doctor, trying to both get more information on his condition and learning about all the American techniques at the same time. Sora would be fixing some of the flowers next to his bed, making sure that they had enough water and that stuff that flowers needed. And last, Cody and Izzy would be arguing quietly about which was the best way to spend the next reunion in the Digital World, after he woke up.

God, he missed them all so much. He didn't know how long it had been since he last kissed his wife, hugged his older brother, teased his best friend or just talked to anyone else of those he cared so much about. He hadn't _seen _any of them since he went to the States, and that was over a month before the crash. How long could it be now? There was no way T.K. could figure out just how long they'd been stuck in this place. And he didn't even know if they got there right after the crash either. T.K. sighed, frustrated with their situation. It seemed all they could do right now was to either wait for their bodies to recover or for Azulongmon to come back, and he had no clue how long time either of them would take.

_

* * *

__25th__ of September – 11.47_

A word that matched the hysteric hours before they could actually get to the airport was _chaos_. There were tickets needing to be reserved, bags to be packed, phone calls to be made and _a whole lot _more. Kari had looked at the plane tickets and all but she had been in a big rush then and missed that the plane was almost entirely filled. There were four seats vacant so they directly booked them all and it was quickly decided that Matt, Tai, Sora and Kari would the ones going first. But the big problem came then with the rest. They eventually got everyone else of the digidestined on a later flight along with Matt and T.K.'s parents, who they managed to contact after several hours of trying to reach both of them.

Matt sighed. The chaos had made him even more anxious. He couldn't wait to see his brother to know for one hundred percent that he was still alive.

He looked over at his best friend who was snoring _quite_ loudly. How he could even sleep at a time like this was to him a mystery. He himself was filled with to much energy, excitement, confusion and he had to admit that he was extremely aware of the way they were travelling at the moment. In a _plane _on a _flight_. The same method of travelling T.K. had been using on that fateful day and been imprisoned in along with the other passengers and the crew. The hijackers had used the plane itself as a weapon.

He was slightly aware of Sora's head resting comfortably against his shoulder. What he wasn't aware of was the fact that she too was sleeping. Her light breathing calmed him down, at least somewhat, and he was once again extremely grateful for having her by his side. If she hadn't been there for him the past few weeks he didn't know what he'd done. She simply was amazing and he didn't know what he'd done to deserve such an incredible fiancée.

He could almost feel how someone looked at him as he gently stroke some of Sora's hair away from her face. He turned around slightly and looked across the aisle at the person sitting next to Tai. Kari looked happier then he'd seen her in quite a while, but her face too held confusion and her whole features were tense. He met her gaze and smiled. "Get some sleep, Kari. Nothing will happen with the plane. Sleep and you'll get to see T.K. faster."

His sister-in-law smiled back and nodded. He could see how her tensed form relaxed visibly by his words or simply by the fact that she wasn't the only one aware of their situation on the plane.

Matt's eyes started to feel heavy as he watched how the last of his company fall asleep in just a matter of minutes. Overwhelmed by exhaustion after the emotional rollercoaster the day had brought, or perhaps it wasn't just by today's events but actually from the entire time from T.K.'s almost death. He soon followed his own advice and joined the others into a deep slumber.

_

* * *

_

Someone was pulling the sleeve of his _shirt. Matt turned over and muttered a quiet curse over whoever was waking him up at this hour. He'd never been a morning person, his family knew that and whoever it was had to take the consequences for waking him up to early. It couldn't be time for him to go up yet because his alarm hadn't gone of and he couldn't have overslept either because the sun, which always managed to make its way into his eyes whenever it shone, wasn't visible yet._

"_Matt."_

_The small innocent voice made it's way to Matt's ears and any thoughts of the things that would happen to the person waking him up disappeared. His little brother knew of his bad morning temper, and how it was even worse when morning wasn't even near. And from Matt's own experience this meant T.K.'d had one of them again, the nightmares. Lately he'd began to have them more frequently and came to the older brother for support and comfort every time, but he'd never once told Matt what exactly the nightmares was all about other then 'bad things happening'._

"_T.K.?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Did you have one of them again?" The older one of the brothers asked as he sat up in bed, now much more awake, and looked at his younger brother. T.K. nodded and Matt immediately lifted the covers, silently inviting the four-year-old to join him, which he did. "So, wanna tell me what happened?" He felt T.K. shake his head as he crept closer to Matt, desperately seeking comfort by the presence of his older brother. Matt hugged him close and felt how his shirt got wet by his brother's tears. "Come on, Teeks. I don't want you to cry, tell me what happened. I promise you that it'll help even if just a little."_

_When the other blonde didn't reply he silently asked. "Squirt?"_

"_What if…" T.K.'s muffled voice could be heard. Matt separated the two of them just a little so he could hear his brother more clearly and the other made a swift movement with his hand to wipe some of the never ending trails of his tears away. "What if they… I keep seeing…" T.K. struggled but then simply stated. "You leave." _

"_What?" Matt asked. "I would never leave you, Teeks, you know that."_

"_But you don't wanna. Momma made you and daddy leave." T.K. cried as the tears that were still running down his cheeks came more rapidly._

_Matt felt a bit shocked by T.K.'s explanation but quickly recovered and stroked his brother's blonde hair away from his teary eyes. __"Mom would never do that, T.K."_

"_But she did!" T.K. sobbed. "Because of the fights."_

"_It's alright, Squirt. That's not mom's fault, and I promise you that I'll never ever leave you, okay?" He then added. "And if that would happen and I can't do anything about it then I'll come right back __to see you everyday I can, I promise."_

"_Pinky promise?" T.K. asked innocently holding up his little finger to Matt. The older boy chuckled and grabbed the younger one's pinky with his own._

"_Pinky promise."_

_T.K.'s face lit up and he hugged his older brother who gladly returned the gesture. There was something special about T.K.'s hugs, Matt didn't know what but there was something in them that made him utterly hopeful and determined to make the future worth everything they went through at the moment, that the Ishida brothers would always stick together. Matt nearly missed the small voice that whispered in his right ear, but only nearly. "I love you, big brother."_

"_Love you too, Teeks." He could feel T.K. move away from him to look into his eyes, eager to ask something by the look of it. Blue met blue and Matt raised his eyebrow in a motion meant to urge the younger on with whatever he wanted to ask. _

"_Brother, will you play on your harmonica for me?"_

_

* * *

__25th__ of September – 04.36_

Matt could hear protests. He couldn't quite make out about what just yet, he had just woken up but the muffled voices seemed to grow stronger and stronger. Or perhaps it was his mind that was finally catching up with reality? Whatever was the reason he was awake, and by the feeling of it he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep for quite some time. He opened his eyes and looked around. Tai and Sora were the ones arguing about something still unknown to him while Kari looked tiredly between the two. Matt raised his head from his uncomfortable position with it leaning strangely against the back of the seat, a motion that seemed to go unnoticed by the others, even though he sat in between the arguing pair. At least that was until Kari moved her gaze from her brother and Sora.

"Guys, you can stop fighting now."

"We're not fighting, Kari." Sora said looking at the younger digidestined. Tai facial expression turned into one of victory, something that didn't go unnoticed by Sora. "That doesn't mean you're the one who were right, Tai. You know that I am."

"No way! I'm the leader my words are always right. Face it, Sora, you're wrong." Tai gave her a small glare. A passenger behind them chuckled at the pair, which caused the two to be aware of their surroundings. "What did you want Kari, besides us stop fighting because we all know that's not gonna happen any time soon. And why would you want us to stop, you always seem to enjoy watching me getting on the bad side of people." She smiled at her older brother and gave a slight nod with her head towards the very awake Matt. "Oh… Hey, Matt!"

"I told you so. You woke him up with that loud voice of yours. But that's what you wanted all along, wasn't it?"

"Humph," Tai once again glared at her. "Well, it turns out I was right either way. Right at you, you were wrong!"

"Wait up, that's what you were arguing about?" Matt asked confused, his voice husky from not being used for several hours. "About waking me up? Good job!"

"Well, I tried to tell Tai that we should let you sleep for a little bit longer but he kept _insisting _that we should wake you up. All because he was bored, or how was it, Tai?" Sora asked her childhood friend, tapping her foot rapidly at the same time.

"Well, I just thought since were almost there now it would be good for him to be _really _awake once we arrive at the airport. It is kinda mean to just let him wake up when we land, by all the bumping and stuff." Tai defended himself.

Matt rolled his eyes. "How _kind _of you to think of me, Tai." He said sarcastically.

"Well, that's just the way my brother is. If he's bored he'll just go disturb someone else to enjoy himself."

"What? How come everyone's turning against _me _suddenly? Even my own sister!" Her brother exclaimed loudly. "Is this everyone-against-Tai-day or what?"

"No, but its everyone-against-the-overconfident-bloke-with-a-bush-to-hair-day." Sora replied calmly as she once again leaned comfortably against her fiancée's shoulder. "I thought you already had figured that out, Taichi."

"Well, some of us aren't that…" Tai began but was soon interrupted by his sister.

"Isn't this great?"

"What is, Kari" Sora asked softly noticing the change of tone in Kari's before playful tone. Her voice was filled with both happiness and longing and Sora quickly understood the reason behind her feelings.

"How knowing that T.K.'s still alive can change so much? The atmosphere is completely reversed, and it's amazing how one person can do so incredibly much." Kari looked at each of them before closing her eyes, picturing the happy face of her husband. A small smile formed itself on her own lips by the mere imagination. She'd so often seen him smile like that in her dreams of their future, a future where she and their child stood next to him as a family. She gently moved her hand and put it on her now slightly bulging stomach and she realised just how long it'd been since she'd last _seen _T.K., before she even knew she was pregnant. "How incredible he is."

"You're right, Kari. Just knowing that he's alive makes everything so much easier, just breathing and smiling is easier. But still, it will be so much better once we actually see him in front of us, no matter what state he is in." Matt replied to his sister-in-law turning his head towards the window a few seats away. He couldn't wait until the time the ground came closer and they'd get to step out of the plane, jump into the first available cab and rush to the hospital to see his brother. "Well, it would help if he isn't completely wrapped in bandages." He added with a playful yet sincere voice.

"It'll be alright, no matter how bruised he is T.K.'ll make it out of it."

"Tai's right," Sora started as she intertwined her fingers with Matt's. "T.K.'s strong, he'll be okay."

"Hah! You said it!"

"What?"

"You said I was right!" Tai cheered throwing his hand up in the air making a victory sign. "I win!"

"Oh, crap."

* * *

**A/N: **_Once again it's a short chapter but it's better then nothing, right? Well, I personally feel better posting a short chapter once in a while instead of it taking months until the next update with a longer chapter. So this is probably how it'll be for now, until I get my super-mega inspiration back that is. (:_

_And no, I haven't forgotten Patamon (or the rest of the Digimon), somehow they just didn't want to be in this chapter. Strange, if you ask me__ but hopefully they'll show up soon._


	12. Chapter Eleven

**A/N: **_Once again the problem with the empty document, argh! Oh, and I'm not sure whether they're all talking Japanese or English but they speak the same language, or at least understand each other perfectly. It's a fanfic so accept it. ;)_

_Wow, this story now got more then __**100 reviews **__it's more then I could ever dream of so to everyone: __**Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! Your words are my biggest inspiration.**_

_Disclaimer__: I dunno how many times I have to say this but… I don't own anything not digimon, the songs or anything else, the only thing I do own that's worth mentioning is Nikki and the plot. (:_

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Chapter **Eleven – The End Of The Road**

_I will be your guardian_  
_When all is crumbling_  
_To steady your hand_

_You can never say never_  
_While we don't know when_  
_Time, time, time again_  
_Younger now than we were before_

_Don't let me go_

_Never Say Never – The Fray_

_26th of September – 08.45_

The sun shone brightly on the quartet as they sat in the typically yellow cab coming closer and closer to their final destination Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The seemingly never ending journey to the withholder of the Crest of Hope was coming to an end, after hours both in the air and on the road. The four of them were all extremely frustrated by the fact that they couldn't get to T.K. faster and it didn't help that their way of travelling required no effort of their own and all they could do was to sit around waiting for their voyage to come to an end.

Kari looked out through the window to her right. All she could see was an enormous field, similar to the one T.K.'s flight had crashed down on. She could picture just how the plane went down fast and finally collided with the ground. She felt slightly nauseous at the thought of it and quickly moved her gaze to her tightly intertwined hands. Her wedding ring shone brightly. It was as it wanted her to look at it, to not yet let T.K. out of her mind. Her gaze still lay on her ring and she swiftly wondered if T.K. still had his, or if it lay somewhere in the plane wreck.

"We're almost there now." The cabby driver suddenly said breaking the silence that had been over them for so long. "Hope that's what you wanted to hear."

"Oh, yeah." Her brother replied dazed. "Thanks." He turned from his place in the passenger seat and looked at her, Sora and Matt in the back. "You guys heard that, right?"

"Yes, Tai." Was Sora's quick reply and both Kari and Matt gave a small nod in agreement. "Hey, what are we suppose to do once we get there?"

"See T.K. of course, stupid!"

"That's not what I meant, Tai!"

"Oh no, don't start it again you two!" Matt sighed. "You're both right, no need to overdo it!" He looked over Sora's head and at his sister-in-law. "Did the doctor say anything or are we just gonna have to look through every room they've got until we find Teeks?"

Kari smiled at the fact that he could even think that they might have to do that, and for the fact that they all knew that they'd do it without a second thought. "No, we just gotta ask someone for a Dr. Allen Johnson, who's the doctor I spoke with, and he'll take us to T.K."

"Good, then we got a plan!" Tai exclaimed still looking at the three in the back, completely ignoring the taxi driver or maybe he'd just forgotten about him. "Once we get to the hospital we ask for this Allen, then we get T.K. to wake up, next we help him to recover with the help of the others and after that we can go back to Japan. It'll be like if the plane crash never happened!"

There was a slight paused where the four digidestined just thought about the fact that they'd do anything to make just that happen and that they couldn't wait until it actually did happen either.

The driver then cleared his throat. "I know we cabbie drivers are not meant to interfere in private discussions but, this plane crash… There hasn't been a plane crash close to here besides… It doesn't happen to be the one, you know, eleventh of September, Flight 93." The four of them turned their heads to look at him. "I'm sorry it's just… It seems like you four have flown all the way from Japan to here, and wants to go to a hospital in Pittsburgh close to Shanksville where the plane crashed." He looked apologetic as if he hadn't really thought about what he'd said until it was too late. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Sora smiled kindly. "No need to be sorry, we understand the curiosity."

"Yeah, you're right you know. Our friend was on that plane, but he survived! We just found out yesterday." Tai looked far ahead the road. "Now if you could do me a favour and tell us how long before we get there? I can't even see the town yet and you said that we were close!"

"Uh… A few minutes, it's a bit outside town." The driver looked a bit shocked as he stated this. "So… Your friend's alive?"

"Yes, very much!"

"But… But, no one survived! At least that's what they said on the telly…"

"Well, we don't know why they haven't told us until now either. The doctor would tell us that once we got to the hospital, so we'll have to wait and see." Kari said after having been quiet for some time. "I'm sure that they will tell the public the same thing in a short while."

"Okay." The cabbie driver said shortly. "Well, hope you get the lucky guy to wake up. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you." He turned his gaze away from the road a short moment and smiled at the four passengers. "When I'm not driving, that is."

Tai laughed. "That would be good, Mr. Cabbie Driver."

"Look, guys!" Kari exclaimed suddenly as she pointed out of the window. "I think it is the hospital!"

"You're correct, that's the hospital you're seeing. We'll be there in just a minute or two." The driver replied to Kari while making a right turn. The digidestineds faces lit up at his words and they all looked at the hospital in the distance.

"T.K., here we come."

* * *

_26th Of September – 09.01_

Dr. Allen Johnson looked at his watch while walking down the long corridor towards the reception. They were finally there. After a probably never ending journey from Japan the survivor Takeru Takaishi's family was here. He quickened his pace eager to meet them, even though he really had no clue at all who they were. It was just something about reunions that he loved. How the faces of the relatives lit up at the sight of their loved one, how they no matter the visible appearance of the guy or girl always rushed over to him or her, without a second thought. He had no doubt that this reunion would be the same as some of the ones he had already witnessed in his career as a doctor. Of course not one was really the same but the feeling of love and excitement was often alike. When he spoke to Takeru's wife on the phone she had without knowing it made him sure that this reunion would be filled with the same feelings. The shock and happiness in her voice convinced him of just that.

He spotted the reception and made himself slow down just a bit. He didn't want to be panting when he arrived and he had to reduce his eagerness if he wanted to remain the professional doctor many viewed him as. The first thing he noticed was a big brown bush of hair and he wondered shortly what kind of person the one with it had to be to actually have it like that. But those thoughts were wiped away as that person and the three others standing next to him came into view.

The bush-haired one looked happy and careless even though he stood in the middle of a hospital, as if he knew things would turn out right for him and all his friends in the end. His left arm was gently yet very protectively wrapped around a petite young woman with a small baby bump. The woman's appearance shared some similarities with his, a relative he guessed. Next to the two of them stood another pair, their hands tightly intertwined. The man was strikingly similar to the survivor they all came to visit. He had the same blonde hair and blue eyes as his patient and he presumed that this was the brother of Takeru Takaishi that he'd read about in Takeru's file. The other part of the pair was a woman with auburn hair and she, the blonde man and the other young woman shared a similar expression, a mixture of anxiousness, nervousness and most of all anticipation.

As the four of them turned their heads towards him he felt the need to speak up. "Hello. I presume you're the ones here to see Takeru Takaishi?" They all nodded, eagerly waiting for him to continue. "Alright, I'm Dr. Allen Johnson and as you know I'm the one who's been in charge of Takeru's treatment so far. I'm sorry for the long wait, as I told Takeru's wife on the phone there's been several complications around his identification and for that I'm really sorry, we did all we could to speed it up." He looked at the four of them and smiled. "So I suppose you got tons of questions for me, would you like me to answer those first or do you first of all want see Takeru?"

"Please, doctor. Let us see Takeru first, then the questions." The blonde male said. "I still can't completely comprehend the fact that he's actually alive until I see him myself."

"Yeah, he speaks for all of us when he says that, doc." The bush-haired male said glancing at the brunette woman next to him.

"He's down there." He nodded and pointed down the hallway. "Follow me." The five of them walked in silence for a time until they reached a white door and stopped. "I've seen many of these reunions and you have to understand that I can't let all of you in at the same time. Takeru is in a fragile state and too much commotion might pull him deeper into his unconsciousness. Besides he's not alone in there and she's not so strong either."

"He's not alone?" The slightly older woman asked. "You mean T.K. wasn't the only survivor?"

"No, a young girl was found lying next to him at the scene. She too survived the crash somehow." The doctor let out a frustrated sigh. "We still don't know just how the two of them survived, though…"

"A young girl you say? She doesn't happen to be Nikki, does she?"

The doctor turned to the brunette male. "If by Nikki you mean Nicole Le Roux then you are correct."

"Can't we please see T.K. now?" The youngest woman asked. "Questions later, remember?"

"Okay, only direct family first." The doctor said kind of sternly as he looked at the four whose relationship to his patient was still unknown, though he did suspect the blonde to be the brother. "Remember what I said before, he's too weak to handle any more at the same time. How are you related to him?" He didn't particularly like the fact that they all couldn't meet Takeru at the same time and he suspected they didn't either but he had no choice but to do it this way. From his own experience he knew that reunions with loved ones actually took some toll on the patient, no matter state.

"Brother."

"Wife"

"Brother-in-law"

"Sister-in-law… Almost as least"

"Well, then. Brother and wife come with me." He placed his hand on the door handle. "You other two can wait here for just a couple of minutes, and then you'll get to see him too." He smiled apologetically. "Just so it wont be four reunions at the same time." The two of them nodded and gently pushed the wife and brother towards the door he was now slowly opening. "Keep in mind that he was in a plane crash, he doesn't look very good."

He first stepped into the room and turned to look at the two as they saw their husband/brother for the first time in, at least from what he knew, several weeks. Their faces lit up with happiness as he saw recognition hit them. He couldn't help but smile as they both hesitated a bit before both of them rushed over to the bed Takeru laid in. His smile grew as he continued to watch how they at first stared at the young man in disbelief before they both wrapped their arms around different parts of his unconscious body.

There was just something about reunions…

* * *

_26th of September – 10.14_

Beep, beep, beep

Kari listened to the rhythmic sound of the machine. It calmed her, made her sure of the fact that he was alive. That her husband was actually alive and in front of her. When she'd first seen him as she entered the room she hadn't believed her eyes that it was actually T.K. in front of her. It was so long since she last seen him, not that she'd forgotten how he looked just that she could comprehend that they were finally at the same place, and the fact that he was badly wounded, almost beyond recognition didn't make it easier. It seemed like both she and Matt come to their right minds at the same time and rushed to him simultaneously.

She'd already known that he was unconscious but yet she got devastated when he didn't wake up, no matter how much she begged him to. Her brother and Sora then were let in and Tai had wrapped his arms around her, calming her down by keeping her away from T.K.'s none-responding body.

That was about an hour ago.

Kari sighed and lifted her head from where she'd rested it on her hands next to T.K.'s calm face. She then scanned his features from head to toe. He had cuts and bruises in his face and, from what she could see, all over his body. The fact that they were still clearly visible two weeks after the crash made her think that they had been by far worse then now. There were bandages around several parts of his body and she suspected that his left arm had been broken, but she was no expert. Along his right arm there was some burn marks not too severe but they were still there. She couldn't see his whole body as there was a cover over half his body and he wore on of those ugly hospital gowns that covered most of his upper body from her scan.

She lifted her gaze from her husband and looked over at Matt who sat on the other side of T.K.'s bed. He looked deep in thought staring as blind on his brother's still form. Kari knew what went through his mind. The shock about T.K.'s survival was still there and all the questions yet to be answered whirled in all of their minds. Her own mind was filled with worriedly thoughts about whether T.K. would wake up any time soon, no doubt Matt and the others shared those thoughts as well.

She saw that Tai fiddled with his phone. Her brother was probably consideringwhether he should call their family and friends in Japan now or wait until they'd gotten everything explained before making the call. She realized he'd chosen the last when he placed it back into his jeans pocket right before the door opened and Dr. Allen Johnson once again stepped inside the room.

"Hello. I hope you have all had the time to grasp Takeru's unexpected survival by now." He said as he walked up to the bed.

The four of them nodded and Sora then asked. "So, can you tell us everything you know about what's happened to T.K. now? And why we weren't told about his survival until yesterday?"

"Yes, I'll start with that. When Takeru got to the hospital the first thing we tried to do after making him somewhat stable was to try to identify him." He took a deep breath. "You see, there's a lot of different ways to identify a person. For example we tried to get his ID by taking both fingerprints and DNA and compare them to the ones in our database, we did the same with his teeth and compared them to the dental records. It's what we did to identify Nicole but as you probably already are expecting neither worked on Takeru. We did all we could but there wasn't until we got the passengers list from the airline two days ago that we actually found out that there was a Japanese passeng…"

"Why would it even matter that T.K.'s from Japan?" Tai interrupted the doctor, earning himself a glare from said man as he answered the question.

"If you'd let me continue you would already know by now…"

"Sorry, doc…"

"It's fine. Well, it would matter since there are no Japanese citizens in our database, so neither fingerprints, DNA or dental record worked because of that. But when we found out that he might be the only Japanese onboard we compared the DNA of our unknown survivor and Takeru Takaishi's one in the Japanese base. And as you know, it matched."

"So, that explains the mess about us not knowing a thing about his survival until now…" Matt started and moved his gaze from his brother and looked at the doctor. "Can you tell us now how it is even possible for him to be alive?"

"I'm about to get to that. We actually have no clue, but we have a theory. A theory that can't be confirmed until either Takeru or Nicole wake up"

"And that theory is…?"

"Well, that they obviously survived the crash and managed to get out before the plane exploded… I'll get to that!" He interrupted himself as he saw how both Sora and Tai opened their mouths. "Yes, though many don't know it takes several seconds for the plane to explode and somehow Takeru or Nicole, probably Takeru, found the strength to get himself and Nicole out of the plane by pure luck, or a strong mind. And we think that he and the girl survived in the first place because of each other. The fact that you guys knew who Nicole was only strengthens that specific theory."

"I don't really get where you are going, doc…"

"That's not very unusual, Tai."

Kari, who'd been quiet for some time, then interrupted the small bicker between Tai and Sora by asking the doctor. "Just what exactly do you mean that they helped each other?"

"You see, the remains of the other passengers have shown different kinds of severe neck fractures. And it's a possibility that if it wasn't because of those fractures more could have survived. But, how come Nicole and Takeru did, then? Well, it seems Takeru and Nicole somehow had gotten to know each other during or before the hijacking. We have our beliefs that Nicole was seated in Takeru's lap and that he was leaning over her, as a shield. Their position seems to have saved them both as Nicole was protected from most of the crash, while Takeru took the big blow, and Takeru's leaning position then gives us the impression that he was spared of the broken neck because his head was shielded by the chair in front of them and his head didn't get thrown back and forth as much as the other passenger's did."

"So that's why…"

"Yes, probably. But what I've told you is just the basic fact that the evidence that supports our theory tells us. Really, we don't know anything that happened on that plane." The doctor continued looking at the survivor in front of them. "The only ones that do are Takeru and Nicole."

Kari sighed and looked at her husband in front of her. Just what had he'd been through? There was so much they didn't know, so much pain still ahead. She knew that going back to their normal life would never be possible. She would help him in any way she could. And most of all she would be there for him, through it all. Through the pain and confusion, she would listen to the questions no one could ever answer, just to make it easier for him. To help him to move on. It wouldn't be easy, no one said it would, but they would try, together. But first there was one thing he needed to do. Something she couldn't really help him with.

"Wake up soon, I love you."

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**A/N: **_I'm all open for suggestions of what the next chapter should contain, I always is but just so you know ;)_


	13. Chapter Twelve

**A/N: **_Is it weird to reread your own story and end up crying? That's what happened to me. And __**Redbone18**__; you read my mind and knew exactly how I'd planned the opening part ;)_

_And I'm sorry for the long wait on this update and the short length of it, but real life goes first, right? Well, thank you for all the reviews and such, they truly speed things up for me. So, thanks!_

_Disclaimer: You all should know by now that the only thing I own is Nikki and the plot everything else is someone else's piece of work._

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**Chapter Twelve**** – The Things We Owe**

_Against the grain should be a way of life  
What's worth the prize is always worth the fight  
Every second counts 'cause there's no second try  
So live like you'll never live it twice  
Don't take the free ride in your own life_

_If Today Was Your Last Day – Nickelback_

_26__th__ of September – The Void of Darkness_

Voices. He heard voices that didn't belong to either Nikki or himself, but yet he recognized them from the distance. As they got closer and closer he was sure, the two voices belonged to his brother and Kari. But, how could he hear them here? He looked down at Nikki as she sat and braided her reddish brown hair, or tried at least. Nope, it didn't look like she'd heard them at all. So, how come he could hear them clearer and clearer for every second that went by? He still couldn't make out the words, but he was sure it was them. Them talking somewhere in the distance. Then, a single voice could be heard clearly through the darkness surrounding him. And he could make out every single word it spoke.

"_Wake up soon, I love you."_

Those six words stunned him. Not that he was surprised that Kari told him, or at least he thought it was to him she spoke, that she loved him. But by the fact that she told him to wake up. Did that mean that he had guessed right earlier? That he was in fact alive and in a hospital? Well, his body that is. His _unconscious _body. There was no way for his body to be awake while he was stuck in this place, he hadn't thought of that until now. No wonder Kari asked, or rather begged, him to wake up.

Then they got to be there now. By his body in the States. Oh, how he wished he could be there with them. To see their, hopefully, smiling faces. He knew for sure that both Kari and Matt were there now. Wait. Now he could faintly hear Sora and Tai's voices getting closer. Had they just entered the room or had he just missed them? There was no way for him to know that unless he asked them, and that he knew for sure was impossible.

The two new, or at least new for him now, voices didn't make it easier for him to make out any words. It really had been a wonder that he'd heard what Kari had said before, even minus Sora and Tai's voices. Or perhaps it just was because she was closer then the rest, what did he know? Nothing, from his place here. He knew absolutely nothing of what was going on in the Real World.

"T.K.?"

He turned around, relieved that this time he could actually face the owner of the voice that had just called his name. Nikki had stopped braiding her hair and had settled with a simple ponytail, from where she'd gotten the band tying it all together he had no clue. "Something wrong, Nic?" He asked as he saw the worried look on Nikki's young face.

"Are we ever going to get out of here? I've never really liked darkness very much…" T.K. hesitated and when the girl saw that she continued. "Don't change the subject or tell me a white lie, please. I wanna know for real this time."

T.K. was stunned. He'd thought that his actions had gone unnoticed by her, but obviously she knew that he hadn't told her the truth. He hadn't really lied, just avoided the truth. But apparently it was time to tell her what he knew, thought it wasn't much. "I really don't know, Nikki. I barely know where we are. Just that we'll be here until our actual bodies in the world filled with light are healed and ready to takes us back."

"Then it shouldn't be an awfully long time for us to wait, should it?" She looked up at him, her emerald eyes filled with a little bit of new hope. "Mommy always told me that I'm a quick healer." She continued proudly, for the first time speaking of her mother without ending up crying.

"Then you'll be back in no time." T.K. replied and ruffled her hair, completely ruining her ponytail.

She sent a glare in his direction. "Hey! I just fixed my hair." Then, as if realizing something, she smiled and looked up at him again. "You don't happen to know how to make a braid, do you?"

"Nope, never done one in my entire life." He smiled and chuckled slightly as he raised an eyebrow in question to her. "You didn't really expect me to know that, right?"

She shook her head and, still smiling, replied. "My mommy always braided my hair before I went to bed… I loved it when she did that. It felt safe and nice and… And it felt like home…" Her eyes then filled with water, but yet it was a small success for her having been able to handle more then she'd done before. T.K. then bent down to her level and put one of his arms around her small form. Somehow you could tell by just looking at Nikki that just that small motion comforted her and made her feel much better then before it.

"We'll get home soon, Nikki. Life won't be the same as before but it will still be a life for us to return to." Blue met emerald as she turned her head around to face him straight on. He gave her a small smile. She returned the gesture with some effort, but at least it was a smile. "And I promise you, it will eventually feel like home again. A little different but still like home."

She nodded and then as if some great idea hit her she smiled a genuine smile and looked pleadingly up at him. "Hey T.K.… You never finished telling me about how bravely you saved Kari from those icky creatures in that dark world. Can't you please, please continue?"

T.K. chuckled and then did just what she told her, he continued his tale of their adventures in the Digital World. Now they could both disappear into the story and forget their current situation, how they were stuck in the Void of Darkness. How they didn't know when they could escape this place that was doomed to be dark forever.

* * *

_26__th__ of September – 16.36_

Kari didn't know where the time had gone. She had just been sitting there looking at her husband, still stunned by the fact that he was alive and in front of her. His slowly raising chest made her calmer then she'd been since the day before he left, and especially in comparison to the last two weeks. It had been like time hadn't existed and she had barely noticed the others in the room with her. But still, had it really gone six hours? She sighed. She just wanted him to wake up but evidentially them being there hadn't helped the way she thought it would. In her mind she'd made up the idea that once they got there T.K. would feel their presence and perhaps hear their words but no, he hadn't responded at all or nevertheless woken up.

"I wonder what's behind that curtain."

She didn't have to turn around to know that it was her brother that had asked the question. Still, she turned towards him to find out what exactly he talked about. Tai was staring curiously at a blue curtain hanging behind where Sora and Matt sat on the other side of T.K.'s bed. It was strange. She hadn't noticed the curtain at all until Tai spoke about it.

"Well, Tai. Why don't you figure that out then, go ask the doctor." Matt replied looking at his best friend, who shook his head. When Tai didn't follow his advice and instead rose and walked up to said curtain Matt rolled his eyes and continued. "Or you can simply do it your way."

"You shouldn't do that. It's none of your business, Tai." Sora said attempting to stop their friend. "Tai!" He ignored her and took a piece of the curtain and pulled it slightly to the side. Unable to see anything from their place from afar the three kept silence, but they all noticed how tense Tai got when he saw whatever was behind the blue curtain. "Tai?"

"Hey, guys…" Tai said uneasy. "I think you should see this, or rather _her_."

"Her?" Sora looked at her childhood friend confusedly, not understanding at all what he was talking about.

"You don't mean… Nikki?" Sora gasped at Kari's word as she'd already put two and two together. "Is she there? Tai?"

Her brother turned around and locked his eyes with Kari's. "Yes, it's Nikki, at least I think that it is her. Get over here."

Sora and Matt immediately rose, curious to see the young girl, but Kari however lingered for a moment her eyes gazing down at her husband. She'd been scared that the moment she'd let him out of sight he would disappear, leave her again. After a few seconds she rose, even though her doubts, figuring that this was the moment to at least try to find out what would happen. She released T.K.'s hand from her tight grip and let it fall gently to his side. Behind her back she crossed her fingers. She walked a few steps away from the bed, she then turned around and let out a sigh of relief as T.K. remained in the bed in front of her. Kari paced up and joined the others where they stood still before the other bed looking down at the small and fragile body of Nicole Le Roux.

Her reddish brown hair was spread out all over the white pillow and Kari felt terrified by the fact that the colour of the girl's face was not far from the one of the bedclothes. Kari slowly walked even further forward and let the other ones out of her sight. The closer she got the more stunned she became by the beauty shown in the girl's appearance, even though the wounds she'd received in the crash were clearly evident. Though, compared to T.K. her injuries were not all too severe. Apart from several bruises the only injury Kari could spot was one of her legs. It was tightly wrapped in a pink bandage, whether it was broken or not she didn't know.

"She's… so small."

Kari turned around and faced her brother, whose eyes were fixed upon Nikki. She agreed with him, the huge bed made the girl look even smaller then Kari suspected she was. She remembered from that horrifying phone call two weeks ago that Nikki was four years old, but that was the only thing she knew about the girl. She knew nothing about the girl herself or her family, other then that her mother was killed during the flight. Did she have anyone beside her, or had she lost everything that day? "I wonder why she's alone."

"What do you mean, Kar?" Her brother asked from behind her.

Kari tilted her head slightly before answering. "I mean, T.K. got us here; his family and friends, with even more coming, but she's all alone here."

"Don't worry." Sora stepped forward and rested her hand gently on Kari's arm. "We just found out a day ago. Perhaps her relatives are on their way here now, they might have to travel far to get here, just like we had to. It'll be all right, you'll see."

"Sora, we made it here from _Japan_ in less then a day. I just got the feeling that… Well, something tells me that everything is not all right." She reached forwards and brushed the girl's bangs out of her eyes. It was unfair that someone of her age had to go through something like this, it was horrible that anyone had too but… she was just a kid, it wasn't fair. That she had to grow up with this tragedy in her life, with the memories Kari knew she would have constantly making it's way into the girl's thoughts.

The door opened suddenly and they all turned to see Dr. Johnson walk into the room. "Ah, I see that you four have met Nicole."

"Dr. Johnson!" Tai exclaimed. "I hope you don't mind that we let our …" Sora cleared her throat. "All right, I hope that you don't mind that _I _let _my _curiosity get the best of me."

"It's all right, Mr…?"

"Kamiya."

"All right, Mr Kamiya." The doctor nodded. "I suppose you want to know more about the young girl before us?"

"Yes, will she be okay?" Sora hurried to ask as she made her way over to the doctor. "I mean, she looks kind of good. She's not very injured compared to T.K., at least not from what I can tell."

"You're right. As you already know we believe that T.K. was like a shield to her protecting her from the blast and there by sparing her from getting all too many serious injuries. She should wake up in a short while, at least that is what we believe. Other then her health we don't know very much about her. Apparently she and her mother were on that plane to San Francisco to return to their home in the outskirts of the city after being in New York on vacation matters. They both were originally from France but after the death of Nicole's father a year and a half ago they moved to the States and became American citizens."

"So, neither Nikki's mother nor her father is alive?" Kari asked, her suspicions seeming to be true.

"Yes, she's an orphan now. It's sad, but that's what happens sometimes." Dr. Johnson fell silent for a minute then took a deep breath. "Well, back to her condition… Her leg got a severe sprain but fortunately nothing is broken, there were a few cracks but by now they're almost fully healed. Otherwise there's nothing serious, some first degree burn marks but they will heal in no time and as you can see she got some bruises but the same is for them." The doctor then bent over to lift up something that was out of their sight. "And something I think you'll like to see is this." He continued and held up a purple backpack.

"And why is that, doc?" Tai asked as he eyed the small, and from the looks of it rather new, bag. "Is that Nikki's backpack?"

"Yes, it's hers. But I believe that not all of the things inside of this are Nicole's. This for example…" He held up a notebook the four immediately recognized as T.K.'s. "… is way too advanced to be written by a four year old, not to mention that it's partly written in Japanese, which makes us rather sure of who it belongs to."

"T.K." Kari whispered, her lower lip trembling slightly. "What more?"

"There was a strange device…"

"What do you mean by _was_?" Matt asked having heard the past time tense in Dr. Johnson's sentence.

"Well, everything in this…" He held up the backpack. "… is evidence since it's the only things from the plane that was left fully intact. The investigators have already gone through and are finished with everything but this device. They simply don't know what it is, so it needs further investigation and can't be returned until they are finished with it. I hope that you can understand that." The doctor then held up the backpack for one of them to take. "I'll let you look through everything, I believe that you are the best persons to separate Takeru's personal belongings from Nicole's."

Matt took the backpack from the doctor, his hands shaking while doing so. "Thank you."

"It's nothing. Take all the time you need." The four of them nodded in response. "I will come back to check on Takeru and Nicole in about an hour, I'll see you all then. Goodbye." He left the room rather fast and a silence overtook the remaining four.

"Well, let's start." Tai said as he indicated to Matt that he should open the bag. "No need to wait, right?"

Matt nodded. "Right."

* * *

**Merry Christmas!**


End file.
